Forgotten
by Rocka.NGW
Summary: One year later, she thought that it was over, all of the drama in her life. But when the man she forgot comes back into her world, twisting and churning everything she thought she ever knew, he claims that he's here to collect what she owes him. But… what? AU, Ichihime, Aihime, hint of Ichiruki. Sequel to Settle Down.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **This is the sequel to Settle Down! It's finally here! It's a whole year later from the first story and I hope I don't disappoint. *crosses fingers* this story really isn't inspired by a song like the others are. It's just a sequel!

~Also, I was looking back on my SD reviews and I saw that most of you said that Ichigo should suffer more. Personally, I felt the same way because he kind of did get off scot-free. So for all of you would say that he didn't get what he deserved, then this is the story for you.

**Title:** Forgotten

**Description: **One year later, she thought that it was over, all of the drama in her life. But when the man she forgot comes back into her world, twisting and churning everything she thought she ever knew, he claims that he's here to collect what she owes him. But… what?

Pairing: Ichigo/Orihime, Orihime/Aizen, Ichigo/Rukia

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach, unfortunately.

* * *

Orihime looked around the court room.

She looked at her husband and her attorney. The people in their seats. The young child sitting behind her.

And across the room was that evil man. His smirk, his hair, his eyes… All a façade to hide the rotten heart he had in his chest.

But she wouldn't let him.

She refused.

She refused to let him take the one thing that mattered to her. The one thing that kept her going all these years.

She wasn't going to let him take Tamotsu…

* * *

**One Month Earlier.**

* * *

"God damn it…" Ichigo muttered as he turned the corner. It was too dark out to be driving, even for a crazy man. The blades moved back and forth over his window shields as the rain poured down in heavy buckets.

Ichigo slowed the car until he finally saw what he was looking for. He came to a stop.

The woman opened the passenger door and sat down with a wet thump.

Ichigo said nothing but continued to drive as the woman took off her small hoop earrings and soaking jacket.

"Ichigo…" she started "… Thank you…"

"Rukia, I don't know what the fuck is going on-"

"It's a setup. I told you on the phone."

"Why the hell would you drag me into this?" Ichigo looked away from the road to take a glance at her. This is one of the things he admired about Rukia. She was being blackmailed and shunned, but the woman was still holding strong.

"Because you're now part this too. They have pictures of us. Remember when I told you about that video last year, and the stolen money, and I told you about… _them_..." Rukia shook her head. "They think it was all me. But I know who did it. It was Gin, I know it... It had to be…"

The man squeezed the stirring wheel tighter. "Last year… never happened." Ichigo quickly thought of that evening in his office. They didn't do anything, he'd swear on it. But even the simplest of pictures can speak in a thousand different ways.

"I wouldn't have told you if it didn't concern you." Rukia sniffled and hugged her wet jacket closer. "Besides, you wouldn't have picked me up if you didn't believe me."

"Damn it, Rukia. You put me in a tight spot!" Ichigo squinted down at his watch. It was 11:48. His wife would be fuming.

"I know, and I'm sorry… But I couldn't stay at The Society. No one was talking to me, I couldn't even show my face in at the company… I had to get out of town." The woman stared at Ichigo. "You're the only one I can trust…"

Ichigo muttered another curse when his phone rang.

The duo sat silently until the ringing stopped.

"Was that…" Rukia trailed off, she twirled one of her hoop earrings around on her fingers.

Ichigo nodded.

Rukia leaned back and closed her eyes. She promised herself she wouldn't hurt him anymore. But the information of this scandal would soon leak, placing his family smack dab in the middle.

"I'm sorr-"

"I don't want to hear it!" Ichigo snapped. "I'm tired of this bullshit. I thought it was kept underground."

"It was, but about four years ago, some famous diamond was stolen-"

"And they think you stole it!"

"No… but they were linking it back to the company and its history. Then they found some records and found some bills… and well I used the company card to pay for hotel rooms…"

"So that's when your indiscretions got out."

"Our indiscretions… Anyway, news of the diamond isn't out yet. Yamamoto is making sure of that." Rukia looked out at the raining city passing by. "Where are you taking me?"

"A motel out of town. You have cash on you?"

"Just a little. I didn't have time to go to the bank. Besides, all of my accounts are frozen by now anyway..." Rukia sniffled again.

And that's when he heard it, that tiny whimper beneath it all. He knew that she was trying her hardest not to make a sound but she couldn't help herself.

Ichigo looked at her, _really_ looked at her. Rukia's wet sable hair clung to her neck and shoulder. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, and her cloths drenched from the rain.

Ichigo turned another corner and parked in front of the motel. "Listen, Rukia. We will get through this together. We'll go to court, straighten this all out and find out who's behind all of this." Ichigo turned off the engine. "First things first, where were you when the diamond was stolen? What's your alibi?"

Rukia shook her head.

Ichigo sighed. "You have to tell me."

Rukia took a deep breath. Her alibi isn't any better than the crime she was being accused of committing. "I was with you that day." She looked him in the eye. "We were sleeping together."

…

Orihime flickered off the television. It was way past her bedtime.

The woman got off the sofa and roamed around the room. Is this how Ichigo wants to act? Everything was going good up until a month ago. Orihime pushed her hair out of her face. She didn't know if she could take it much longer.

Ichigo slammed the front door shut. He hung his wet coat in the hall closet door. Ichigo looked up. "Ori-"

"You missed dinner. Again…" Orihime crossed her arms. "That's the sixth time this month."

Ichigo walked over. "I know."

"No…" Orihime shook her head, her burnt-orange locks bobbing away. "You don't know."

"I had a lot of work to do." Ichigo rubbed her shoulders soothingly. He hated making her feel this way.

Orihime started slowly. "Ichigo… You have a four year old son and a wife at home who want to see you sometime during the day. You leave early in the morning, and come home late at night… What am I suppose to do? What am I suppose to tell Tamotsu?"

"Orihime-"

"Maybe if you'd tell me what's going on at work, I could help…"

"Look. I'm trying my hardest to get home on time. But there's these journalist, and the press that want to bring my clients down. God knows I can't stand that writer, Shunsui…" Ichigo stopped talking when he realized she was hardly listening.

"It's our anniversary in two days..." she said deadpan.

A smile slid on his face. "Yeah. Seven years." Ichigo said cheerfully.

"Big whoop."

"Hey, don't be like that." Ichigo lifted her chin so she would look at him. "I promise I'll try to come home earlier." Ichigo smiled. "The key word being 'try'."

Orihime smiled. She couldn't stay mad at him for long. "How about we get some rest?"

Ichigo grasped her hand. "I have a better idea… How about we get started on Tamotsu's siblings?"

Orihime heart gave a tight squeeze. "Actually…, I'm really tired…"

Ichigo didn't let his sadness show, though you could hear it in the drop of his voice. "Oh, well, we can just get some rest then."

Orihime smiled and let him lead her up the stairs.

**...**

Ichigo folded up his newspaper. "Good morning, champ."

Tamotsu yawned and climbed onto the kitchen chair. Orihime sat bowl of Cheerios in front of him.

"Morning, daddy." Tamotsu grumbled. His shaggy brown hair hung in front of his eyes.

"Uh, Ichigo." Orihime sat down at the table and pushed her son's hair out of the way. "Tamotsu was telling me that he wanted to play more games with you."

Tamotsu nodded and perked up. "I want to play games with the cards!"

Ichigo's phone rang before he could respond. It was a call from his right hand man, Ishida.

"What is it now, Ishida?"

"Ichigo." His voice was like ice. "Get your ass down here. Now."_ Click._

The man stared at the phone incredulously.

Ichigo stood and slid his suit jacket on. "I have to go." He sent a quick text to Ishida telling him he's on his way.

Orihime shook her head, unbelievingly. "Ichigo... I thought we were talking..."

"We'll talk about this when I get home." Ichigo muttered and kissed his son and wife on the forehead.

The woman stood and followed him to the living room. "But Ichigo-" Orihime whined.

"When I get home." Ichigo gave her a stern look.

Orihime rolled her eyes and turned her head. "Fine."

Ichigo walked to the front door and grabbed his suitcase and coat, his voice became softer. "We'll talk when I get home, okay. I promise..."

Orihime finally huffed. "Fine!"

Ichigo smiled at his victory and closed the door behind him.

**...**

"What is it now, Ishida?" Ichigo strode through the corridor in the office building.

Ishida stepped next to him, keeping up with his pace. "We're taking on a new client, a big one. Lisa."

Ichigo's assistant, Lisa Yadōmaru, handed him a vanilla file.

"He's an entrepreneur. I'm pretty sure you know him. We went to his social event a few years back, and-"

"I'm not representing him." Ichigo stopped in his tracks and clapped the file shut.

"Ichigo-"

"I said; I'm not representing him."

Lisa looked from one face to the other, saying nothing.

Ishida adjusted his glasses and cleared his voice. "Come with me..." The man led the other two into an empty office room and locked the door behind them. "I don't think you get the full picture, Ichigo. A client has come to us. So get your act together. We're representing him if you like it or not."

Ichigo crossed his arms. "Last time I remembered, you worked for me. I say who comes and who goes." The man turned around, hand already on the doorknob.

"Kurosaki-san." Lisa butted in an indifferent voice. "Should I escort him out? Or tell him to wait?"

Ichigo whipped around. "He's here?"

Ishida nodded.

Ichigo cursed under his breath. It was easier to deny a client over email, but in person... no matter who they were, it way more complicated.

Ichigo took a deep breath. "Where is he?"

"Down the hall and in the second meeting room." The three of them moved out of the empty office room. "I don't know what you have against him. But this could be big for our company." Ishida quickly put in, "please put your authority problems to the side just this once, and negotiate a deal with him."

"Yeah, yeah." Ichigo muttered.

Ichigo, with Lisa and Ishida at his flank, strode into the meeting room.

**...**

"Hey Tatsuki!" Orihime slowly paced outside the doors of her son's preschool.

"Orihime, how's it going on your end?"

"Well, you know... Tamotsu misses you! You have to visit soon..." A few months back, Tatsuki moved out of town. But who wouldn't considering all of the emotional drama she'd been. But it all seemed like years away from now, and it was.

"What about you?"

"I'm... fine."

"Damn it, Orihime! If you're having problems again, so help me God-"

"We are not having problems again...!" Orihime immediately lowered her voice, not wanting to disturb the class going on inside. "It's just... things are complicated..."

"Things are always complicated with you two all the time."

"It's not really our problems. Just mines. I just have something really important to tell you... It's-"

Children appeared piling out of the door, knocking into her legs. Orihime took a step back and watched the kids run to their other parents in the parking lot.

"Hello? Tatsuki? Are you still there?" Orihime stared at the phone and realized that she accidentally hung up during the commotion.

"Mommy…?" Orihime down and saw her son, as calmly and mature as he always was, walking out of the front doors.

"Hi, Monkey. How was your day?" Tamotsu reached up and took her hand.

The child shrugged. "It was fun. We learned our numbers today..."

"Really? What did you count up to?"

"…..Thirty..."

Orihime stopped walking and knelt down in front of him. "But you can already count up to thirty."

"That's what I told our teacher. But she said I didn't, and I said I did, so she said try it, so I counted up to three hundred eighty six and she put me in time-out."

"Aw, honey." Orihime pushed a shagging strand of brown hair out of his eyes. He needed a haircut, but she just couldn't bring her heart to watch all those dark locks disappear. "Do you want me to talk to her? Will that make you feel better?" Besides, it was too beautiful to cut.

Tamotsu nodded.

Orihime lifted his chin. "Don't let this bring you down. You're a smart, handsome young man. Trust me, preschool isn't that bad."

The boy nodded again. "Yes mommy."

Orihime stood and continued walking her son to the car. "And next time she says you can't count don't stop until you reach five hundred!"

**...**

Ichigo walked into the cool shop and shivered a little.

His eyes were almost blinded by the brightness of all the jewelry.

Ichigo walked up to a counter and stared down at the rings. "Hi, how can I help you?"

Ichigo looked up at the smiling saleswoman. "Um, hi. I was looking for an anniversary gift for my wife."

The saleswoman gave a tiny clap with her long, thin hands. "Oh, I just love anniversaries! How long has it been? Three? Five years? Don't tell me…. Ten!"

Ichigo lifted his brow at the exultant lady and shook his head. "No… it has been seven years. But all that we've been through, it feels like twenty."

"Well, we have a nice collection of rings. What's her birthstone, or better yet, we can customize a ring and put seven diamonds around the band!"

Ichigo rubbed the back of his head. Jewelry wasn't exactly his forte. "I was thinking along the lines of a necklace… I want to give her a diamond necklace, one that shines just like her smile."

The saleswoman wagged her finger at him. "I like where your mind is at!" She strode across the room and behind another counter over by a couple looking at a bunch of green bracelets.

"This collection is my personal favorite! I think this one is exactly what your wife-"

"Can I see that one?" Ichigo pointed through the glass at a necklace covered with tiny diamonds and a slightly larger one in the middle.

The woman unlocked the window and slipped the necklace out for him to see. "It is two and a half carats and it is 18k white gold and, well, it's gorgeous isn't it? I could show you the matching bracelet if you'd like…"

"No…" Ichigo smiled. "…I think this is perfect…"

**…**

Orihime pushed the sauce around in the boiling pot. Another night… Another dinner… without Ichigo.

Orihime placed the topper back on the pot. It was completely useless by now.

"Orihime? Tamotsu?"

Orihime walked out the kitchen with her spoon still dripping with tomato sauce.

"I'm home." Ichigo placed his suit jacket on the side of the sofa and unbuttoned his shirt's sleeve.

"Why so early?" Orihime asked as he gave her a kiss. She wiped the spoon off on her apron. "It's only seven…"

Ichigo sniffed the air. "What smells so delicious?"

"Ichigo..."

"Why is it such a problem that I'm home early?" Ichigo plopped down on the couch next to Tamotsu who was finishing a Sudoku puzzle.

"It's not a problem... It's just unexpected."

"I've done some thinking, and I want to have family night tonight." Ichigo slipped his shoes off. "Raise your hand if you want family night tonight."

Orihime watched her son and husband raise their hands in the air.

They looked so goofy, sitting there like they were in school, eager to answer a question.

"Let's play games mommy!" Tamotsu gave her his famous big brown eyed puppy dog look.

Orihime stood, stumped, with her wooden spoon.

"Please!" they pleaded in unison.

"Alright, alright. But I need to finish dinner first."

Ichigo came behind her and untied her apron and took the spoon from her. "We don't need stuffy old spaghetti. I'll order us a pizza."

**…**

The man in black parked his car across the street from the house. He produced binoculars and stared into the window at the happy family while smacking on a piece of gum.

The man's phone rang and he pressed talk.

"What's the status?"

"They seem to be playing games and shit. Been follow'n dis man around all day. He's done noth'n yet." The man blew a wide, blue, minty bubble.

"Don't let that fool you. Keep an eye on them. We aren't paying you for nothing."

"You ain't paying me noth'n!"

The other man clicked off and the first one cursed him to hell. But still, he was right. He shouldn't let his guard down. Ichigo Kurosaki would do something to screw this happy scene up. He had to get him in action.

**…**

The man's eyes were beginning to close. His lids felt heavy and it was pitch black outside.

Then the headlights to the Kurosaki car flicked on. The man couldn't make it out, but it looked like Ichigo driving out of the driveway. He quickly started his engine and slowly drove after him.

It was about one in the morning and it took them about twenty minutes before Ichigo pulled up in front of a shady looking motel. The orange haired man got out of his car and walked inside.

The man's car crawled to a stop on the other side of the lot. He immediately got out his camera and started snapping pictures of Ichigo and the motel.

The man unwrapped another piece of mint gum. He was already in hot water so what in the hell was Kurosaki doing in there?

More importantly… who was inside?

* * *

**Okay, so that was the first chapter! Obviously, if you guys haven't guessed it, Rukia is inside the motel. But WHY is Ichigo going there? And at one o'clock in the morning! I was so mad at myself for writing that scene.**

**This chapter is a little short, but I promise the next one will be longer! I can't wait for chapter two! It's going to be so drama filled, but chapter three is where the story really starts to kick up!**

**Rocka.**

**P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY LuvleeCookieChan**! I hope this chapter was everything you hoped for! Have a good one!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Oh, God! I knew that with the first chapter I was going to get positive and negative reviews. Don't get me wrong, all reviews are great, but it was going to be very risky for me to write all of the Ichiruki in the beginning and the Ichihime problems. I was debating on having the story start out all rainbows and butterflies, but then where would be the fun in that?!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters of Bleach or anything like that.

* * *

Ichigo sat up in the bed. There was a weird noise coming from the bathroom and Orihime wasn't in the bed.

He flipped the covers off of him and walked across the room. He could see the lights on from under the door.

"Orihime…?" Ichigo let his knuckles lightly knock against the wood.

He heard her cough once more and flush the toilet. The faucet went on and off, then the door soon opened afterwards.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she tied her robe tighter against her.

"What? Wait, that's my line."

Orihime smiled, walked past him over to the bed and began to fix the covers. "Ichigo, I'm fine."

"You're obviously not fine. You were just throwing up, were you not?" He scratched his head. "Do you think you'll be okay for tonight? We can always postpone our dinner."

"I said I'm fine. Something just didn't sit right in my stomach…" She fluffed up her pillows. "Our anniversary will be amazing."

Ichigo folded his thick arms. "Orihime… Want me to drive you to the doctor?"

She shook her head and pushed her long hair to one side of her shoulder. "No. It'll pass."

Ichigo sighed. He crossed the room in a few steps and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "I'm trying, Orihime. You know that." He kissed the back of her exposed neck. "I'm trying…"

He could hear her taking large breaths.

"I have to get Tamotsu ready…" She pushed his hands aside a hurried out the room.

Ichigo sat down on the side of the bed. He didn't know what it was, but ever since he asked for another child, Orihime had purposely been avoiding intimacy.

Yes, they still had sex. About two or three times a week if they were lucky. Sometimes it was hard getting Tamotsu to bed.

But he'd tried everything. Of course coming home late wasn't helping. But Ichigo just thinks that Orihime is honestly spooked about having another child. Especially with their UI diagnosis, things were going to be… complicated.

**…**

"_Are you two trying to kill me? Or yourselves?"_

_Ichigo shook his head. Kisuke could be overdramatic or under dramatic but never the in between. "All we want to hear is if it's possible again."_

"_It's possible. It's very possible, I've never said otherwise. But it's dangerous and risky."_

"_Dr. Urahara." Orihime took a deep breath. "Kisuke. We wouldn't have come to you if there was any other way. We're having this naturally and we want… we need your guidance."_

_Ichigo nodded. "We just want a second chance."_

_Kisuke shook his head. "You know the diagnosis. The first time was astonishing that you lasted that long. The second time, Tamotsu, was a complete miracle. He doesn't even have complications. But if you try for a third time, and it makes it, you'll be in for a long ride."_

"_We know it's a slim chance."_

_Kisuke sighed. There would be no way getting through to this couple. "In the womb so many things could go wrong… Then there's prematurity and brain and emotional development… But if this is what you want… who am I to tell you no."_

_Ichigo looked at his wife and frowned. When they went there that morning she looked uneasy, and now she looked downright sick._

"_We just need you to help us get through this safely. Isn't that right Orihime?"_

_The woman nodded slowly, thinking, feeling, seeing something entirely out of that room. Out of this world._

"_How about we sleep on this, and I'll contact you both tomorrow."_

**…**

"Good Morning, Orihime!"

"Morning, Michiru."

Orihime walked over to the window and flipped the closed sign to open.

"Today's the day! How long has it been?"

Orihime sighed happily. "Seven years."

"Wow. Seven years with one person." Michiru shook her head. I don't know how you do it! I can't even make a relationship last past five months…"

In a whole, Orihime has been with Ichigo for nine years. But if Orihime was truly honest with herself, then have only been together for six. Yes, she met Ichigo in college and dated him for two years. And they were married for three years before they had Tamotsu who is four. In those hollow three years of her life she was more alone with him then she ever was by herself.

But that's all changed now.

"Hey, where's little Tammy today?" Michiru and Orihime walked to the kitchen.

"He's at preschool." Orihime went to the back and tied on an apron. "But I'm considering taking him out. His teacher isn't a nice lady." She rinsed her hands off.

"Oh yeah. She's one of those."

"She's always giving him attitude. It's completely ridiculous because he's only four. Four!" Orihime began rolling out her pastry dough. Normally she was at work an hour earlier so that the sweets were made before customers came. "I'm having a parent-teacher conference with her next week. Me and Ichigo have to be there or she wouldn't do it."

Michiru clicked her teeth. The young girl was just happy to be hearing some juicy information. "Have you considered pulling him out?"

"That's what we're going to talk about. I know Tamotsu is… advanced for his age, but she doesn't have to be so harsh." Orihime looked around. "Have you seen Ryō? She's normally on time."

Michiru shrugged. "She said she had a doctor's appointment or a colonoscopy or something like that."

"Michiru!"

"I'm kidding! She's at the dentist."

The door bell gave a little tinkle a Michiru shuffled to the front to take the customer's order.

**…**

Ishida flipped through the notes and opened up his laptop. "So we'll start out by discussing the timing. We have to strike while the iron is hot."

"Well time is money, is it not?" The client smiled.

Ichigo frowned.

"Also, this whole merger is based off of trust. We need to know the truth at all times. If the wrong information is leaked, we'll be able to fix it." Ishida slid his glance to Ichigo briefly.

Ichigo cleared his throat. He was here to work, not sulk around like a baby. "Okay, so if we're going to do this, we're going to do it big. I want the press release to be on all the major radio stations, papers and magazines. It needs to be positive, but not too overdone. Too much hype can be deadly."

A man standing behind the client took off his shades. "But it's a night club? Shouldn't we want the hype?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. He hated when others who don't know diddily squat about PR tried to tell him what was what. "We want to subtly give the people the message. They have delicate minds that need nurturing. We can't jam the product down their fucking throats."

The man in shades paled and slid his glasses back on.

The client took a sip of his drink and squinted at Ichigo. He liked the way he thought.

"If you all could excuse me for a minute," Ichigo said as he got out of his chair. He then gave Ishida a nod signaling him to finish the meeting.

Outside the room, Ichigo took out his phone and dialed his wife's number. He walked down the hall until he reached the elevator.

"Hey! Ichigo! Is there anything wrong?" Orihime's sweet voice filled his ears.

"No, I was wondering if you're ready for tonight."

"Of course I'll be ready!"

Ichigo stepped into the metal box and checked his watch. It was already six o'clock. "I'm having a car come pick you up from the house around eight. Okay?"

"Okay. I already asked Ururu to baby-sit. She's good with Tamotsu."

He couldn't wait to see her face when he handed her that necklace.

"That's perfect." Ichigo walked down the corridor until he reached his office.

"So, are you telling me where we're going?"

Ichigo smirked. "Orihime, you know me. Of course I'm not going to tell-" Ichigo's phone gave the beeping sound indicating that there was another call waiting for him. "Orihime, give me a second, I'll call you back." Ichigo quickly went through his missed calls and found her name.

The man cursed under his breath. He knew she wouldn't call unless it was important. She wouldn't risk it.

Ichigo dialed the calling number and it didn't have to ring but once before she picked up.

"Ichigo, I need you to get down here right now."

"Rukia, you're calling me at work. It's too close and we could be traced."

"Ichigo, my brother won't help. He said I'm on my own because he doesn't believe me."

Ichigo sigh and pushed a hand through orange hair. "I'll be there."

**…**

Orihime let out a huge sigh of relief as she zipped up her dress. If was a perfect fit! She didn't know if the dark blue backless dress still would because she brought it out of excitement five weeks back. She was sure that in the five week span she had gotten bigger.

Orihime look in the mirror once more and smoothed back the sides of her slick burnt-orange ponytail. She turned around and looked at Tamotsu, who was observing silently from the bed, expectantly. "How does mommy look?"

Tamotsu clapped his hands and smiled. "You look beautiful, mommy!"

Orihime giggled and gave Tamotsu an Eskimo kiss. "Flattery will get you everywhere young man."

The door bell rung and Orihime walked Tamotsu down the stairs. She opened the door and saw Ururu standing in the threshold.

"Hello Ururu." She stood aside to let the young girl in.

"Good evening, Kurosaki-sama."

Orihime giggled. It was way too formal even though her status was very high. "Please. Just call me Orihime."

Ururu nodded.

"Well, my car will be around in five minutes and you already know your way around the house."

Ururu bent down to Tamotsu's level and smiled sweetly. "I know me and Tamotsu will have a wonderful time!"

Tamotsu blushed.

"I already have dinner in the oven and money on top of the mantelpiece if anything goes wrong." Orihime paused. "And, can I ask a quick question?"

Ururu placed her bag of toys on the ground. "Sure."

"Which shoe looks better?" Orihime shifted her weight on both feet. On one foot was a black flat with a bow on the front, and on the other was a four inch heel with a thin buckle around the ankle. "I mean I want to wear flats but that's too casual for fancy dinner. But when I wear heels I always feel like a buffoon. But it's our anniversary dinner so I should look presentable. But then again, he won't care what's on my feet because I'm his wife and it shouldn't really matter."

Ururu took a deep breath. Orihime then regretted asking her because Ururu probably knew less about fashion than she did.

"Um… Maybe you should go with the heels…?"

**…**

"The man you asked for is here to see you, Sir."

The man looked at the intercom and responded. "Thank you Cirucci. If you would be so kind as to let him in…"

In seconds, Cirucci was sashaying into the room with a tall, broad, blue haired man following her. Her skirt was hitched up too high as usual, and she had that same arrogant look on her face.

"Here he is, Sir." She gave a little bow and smiled too sweetly. "Would that be all?"

"Yes. You may leave us now."

The heavy whit doors closed behind her.

"Please sit, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez." The first man pointed to the chair in front of the desk. "We have some business to discuss…"

**…**

Orihime took the hand of the valet and stood out of the car on slightly wobbly feet.

"Thank you," she whispered to the man and he gave her a nod.

Orihime walked up the stairs and into the front doors, held open by two men. The woman walked up to the front desk and waited for the hostess to appear.

"Hi, I have a reservation for two. Kurosaki."

The hostess nodded and showed her to her seat. The woman had way too much make-up on and even more attitude.

Orihime smiled giddily and only asked for water when the waitress came around.

"Will that be all Miss?"

Orihime folded the crisp menu. "For now. My husband is coming soon. It's our anniversary and I don't want to start without him."

The waitress nodded in understanding. "I'll be back with that water!"

Orihime placed her hands in her lap and looked around the room. The place was packed and fairly loud. Mostly couples, the people drank and ate their dinner with wide smiles on their faces. She wondered when Ichigo would come.

Orihime stared at the older couple clear across the room from her. She wondered if they were celebrating their anniversary. Orihime could just see her and Ichigo staring at each other like that twenty years from now. Or at least she hoped.

"Here you go! One water." She placed the cool glass cup in front of her view of the older couple. "Anything else for the time being?"

Orihime looked around the room once more for Ichigo. "Could I have a bread basket while I wait?"

The waitress smiled. "Of course. I'll be back in a minute."

**…**

"Rukia, I really have somewhere to be."

Rukia paced in the small room back and forth. "I know, but you can't leave now."

Ichigo groaned and rubbed his face. He didn't think he could stay any longer. His phone was off and Orihime was waiting for him. "Rukia we've been over this. I'm doing the best I can do with what I've got. They can only keep this story secret for so long."

"I know. But I can't stay here any longer…"

Ichigo stood up and slid back on his jacket. "I'm working on that. Police haven't confirmed anything yet so you're not under arrest yet. This place is just to keep you low." Ichigo sighed. "And without the help of your bastard of a brother, the media will be all over this."

"Nii-sama has his reasons… I know he does."

"Well when you figure it out, give me a call." Ichigo picked up his briefcase and reached the door.

"Ichigo, wait. Just stay for another hour. A half even… I just don't want to be alone…" She knew it was a selfish thing to ask but she just couldn't deal.

The man stopped and stood quietly for a minute. Ichigo needed to get to Orihime. He wanted to give her his gift, his love and affection. It was their night, her night.

He put his briefcase back on the ground and slowly took off his jacket.

He would only stay for a few.

He would make it to dinner in time… he would.

**…**

Orihime finished her last piece of bread and took another sip of water.

By now, half of the previous couples had gone and a new batch replaced them.

The woman huffed, checked her watch and huffed again. It was already nine and Ichigo still hadn't walked through the door. Maybe he was being held up at the office.

"Are you ready to order now?" Orihime's waitress was back. She had been coming back everything ten minutes.

"No, I'm still waiting…" Orihime looked down then back up. "...But could I get another bread basket please…?"

**...**

Ichigo drove through the piling cars until there were vehicles in front and back of him.

"Oh no! No!" He hoped that he could skip the late night rush hour.

God he didn't want to make Orihime upset.

He was already so late and his phone died on him about an hour ago. It needed to be charged and he hoped, prayed that Orihime wasn't stressing out.

He was going to make it. He had to.

**…**

"Ichigo…? Where are you? It's… half past ten… I'm really disappointed in you…" Orihime took a deep breath. She was so over this…

"Excuse me, Miss…"

Orihime looked up to see the hostess with too much make-up and her waitress. "I'm sorry ma'am, but we're going to have to ask you to leave…"

For a second, Orihime sat stunned. She had never been in this situation before.

"But... But I haven't even been here for long..."

The hostess sucked her teeth in annoyance. "You've been here for about two hours. You haven't ordered anything and you're taking up space."

"I-I understand…" Orihime stood and grabbed her purse.

"I'm sorry…" the waitress mumbled to her quickly.

Orihime smiled but said nothing. She walked out with her head held high, but her heavy heart weighed her to the ground.

**…**

The taxi pulled up by the sidewalk in front of the house.

Orihime paid the man. "Thank you."

"Rough night?" The man asked.

"Yes, alittle." She said polietly and pushed open the door and slammed it shut.

She walked up the driveway, almost breaking her ankles because of the four inch heels. "Stupid shoes," she mumbled as she unlatched the buckle around her foot.

Orihime finally made it to the door and found Tamotsu sleeping on Ururu's lap. Orihime placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and gently shook her awake. "Would you like me to drive you home?"

"No." Ururu yawned and stretch her arms. "I only live down the road. How was your night with Kurosaki-san?"

The woman smiled. "I've seen better days."

Orihime helped Ururu gather her things off of the floor. Tamotsu normally put his toys away himself, but when Ururu was around he always forgot his manners.

That's when Ichigo burst through the door.

"Orihime, I'm so sorry!" He had a handful of yellow flowers in his hands.

Orihime simply stood and handed Ururu's her bag. "Do you still need a ride home?"

"No, I'm good to go." She slid Ichigo a glance and gave the parents a bow, "thank you Kurosaki-sans," and scurried out of the house.

The living room was silent for a good five minutes before he spoke again. "Orihime, time got away from me-"

"I don't want to talk about." Orihime straightened up the pictures on the coffee table.

"But we need to-"

"But we don't!" Orihime spun around and immediately calmed herself. Tamotsu was sleeping on the sofa and the last thing he needed to see were his parents arguing.

"Ori-"

"Stop saying my name. Stop talking to me." She took a deep breath. "Just leave me alone."

Ichigo grabbed her forearm and spun her around. "I'm trying to explain myself!" he hissed.

"I don't want an explanation! I want you to be there when you tell me you will." Orihime wrenched her arm out of his grip. "I don't want to talk about this!"

"But we have to!"

"Fine! You wanna talk about how you missed our seven year anniversary dinner? Or how you're never around anymore? Or when you promise me one thing but do the exact opposite…?"

"Look… I'm trying to tell you where I've been…"

"Well guess what. I don't want to know.

Ichigo took a step back. He had never known Orihime to be so bold. He's seen this side of her very rarely.

Orihime picked up Tamotsu's limp form off of the sofa and carried him up the stairs.

"Mommy," he wrapped his arms around her neck and legs around her waist. "Mommy… I'm tired…" The weight of his head fell on her shoulder.

**…**

Orihime pushed her fingers through Tamotsu's brown hair as he curled himself up into a ball.

The pair lay sprawled out on Ichigo and Orihime's bed. After their argument, Orihime told him to sleep on the sofa, but now she was starting to regret it.

Yes, he was wrong, and yes, she had every right… But she loved her husband no matter what. The woman could never stay mad at him for long, which was her greatest weakness.

Orihime pulled the covers up against Tamotsu some more and slowly crawled out of bed.

She then tiptoed down the steps and crossed the living room where Ichigo was sleeping on the couch. The television was still on, playing the black and white movie The Bad Seed.

Orihime lifted his blanket and slid beneath it so she was next to him.

Ichigo groaned and opened one eye, and saw long locks of burnt-orange hair, then two. "Orihi-"

"Shh." She placed a finger on his lips. "Never do it again, okay… Just stop with the lies…"

Ichigo enveloped his arms around her and pulled her closer. "I'm… more than sorry. Beyond it. What I did was irresponsible, unacceptable… completely idiotic."

She grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him down into a kiss. "Things aren't that bad you know..." Ichigo rubbed his thumb across her cheek as she continued to talk. "You're a good dad... Tamotsu adores you. You have a great job that you're great at. We finally have a child to share this big house with..."

"And I have one beautiful wife to come home to..."

Orihime blushed. "That too." She lifted her hand high in the air. "I promise that I will ease up on you coming home late."

Ichigo grinned and lifted his hand too. "And I promise that I will start coming home earlier."

"When business calms down, will you take me on a proper anniversary dinner?" Orihime stared up into his amber eyes.

"I'll do more. I'll send us on a vacation."

Her face brightened. "Really? Where?"

"How about Hawaii. We'll dance in the sunset and swim with the fishes, and surf with the dolphins."

Orihime moaned and snuggled down closer next to him. "That sounds amazing."

"Oh, it will be." Ichigo lifted her chin with two fingers. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her even closer. "And I promise it'll just be us. You'll have me all to yourself."

"Good." She tugged on the back of his neck again and kissed him softly. "Because that's all I want."

* * *

**Two days later.**

* * *

Orihime gave the door a tiny knock and walked in to see Ichigo sitting at his office desk.

"Hey, I brought you some lemonade!"

Ichigo looked up briefly. "Hey!"

"Well you seemed a little hassled… Is there anything I can do?"

Ichigo shook his head and sighed. "I'm fine… just a lot of work with this new client."

Orihime came around the desk and rubbed his shoulders. "I know you're stressed, but I can help!" Orihime looked over his shoulder. "What are you promoting this time?"

"Just a night club." Ichigo quickly covered his work. "It's going to be fantastic apparently. What a load of bull…" He looked up at her. "You know all this paperwork is boring."

Ichigo made to get up, but Orihime pushed him back down in his chair. "What do you need? I'll go get it!"

"I was just about to get a few papers I left in the car..."

"I'll get them!" Orihime began to walk out the office.

"Orihime! That's not necessary, really."

"No, no. I want to do it!" Orihime hopped down the stairs and to the car. The sun was going down and the sky was getting darker and darker by the second.

Orihime opened the car door and looked around for a pile of papers… when something caught her eye…

Upstairs, Ichigo groaned and tugged on his hair. He stood and walked back and forth in his office.

He wanted to keep Orihime as far away from this client as possible. He didn't want her to know who he was and Ichigo sure as hell didn't want to work with him.

Ichigo looked down at the papers. He really didn't want her to find out at all...

"Ichigo… What… Wha-what is this…?" Orihime could hear her heat drumming slowly, but the tempo would soon build.

Ichigo continued looking down at his papers. "Orihime, what is it now..."

Orihime bite her lip and shook her head. "I don't understand... Ichigo… look at me." The volume raised

"Orihime…" he huffed.

"Look at me!" she shouted.

"What!?"

She held up the earring. "What is this?"

Ichigo threw his hands in the air in exasperation. "It looks like an earring."

"But I don't own any gold hoop earrings… Not one pair…" Orihime shakily held it up higher. "So I'm asking you, who does it belong to?"

Realization soon smacked Ichigo hard across the face. He immediately walked over with his hand out defensively. "It's not what you think…"

"No…no, no, no…" Orihime gave him a push on the chest. "Ichigo! No!" She gave him another shove. "You keep lying to me! I can't do it anymore!" Orihime kept at it until she had him pushed into the hallway. "You've humiliated me for the last time!"

"Orihime. Listen to me!" Ichigo grabbed both her arms and tried to look into her eyes.

"Shut up." She pushed on his chest and arms, hoping with all her strength to get away from him. "Leave me alone, don't touch me!" Orihime fell on the ground and took a deep breath. "Ichigo... I can't do this anymore…"

"But let me explain to you!" He got to his knees and tried to help her up but she kicked him away.

"I can't- Get out!" She pulled her arms away from him and pointed to the door down stairs. "Just go… please."

"But-"

"I think we need some time apart…" Orihime shook her head again. "I can't take the lies anymore… Please just get away from me."

"Ple-"

"I said get out!"

Without another word, he rose from his knees and walked down the steps. Orihime laid down flat so she as staring at the hallway ceiling. She didn't look anywhere else until she heard the front door close.

Then she broke down in tears.

"Mommy…? Where's daddy going?" Orihime looked up to see Tamotsu looking out through his bedroom door.

"Tamotsu, get to bed." He hesitated. "Right now!"

Tamotsu slowly closed his door and crawled back into bed.

* * *

**You all remember the flashforward from chapter one, right? Well that will tie into chapter five and six. And I know that's a few weeks away, but trust me, it'll be worth it.**

**Also, the next chapter will be a bit of a shocker. A few things will happen that aren't so pretty, and some will be very _handsome_. But no spoilers though!**

**Oh, and I'm updating every Sunday as usual.**

**Rocka.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Chapter three is here! *claps* I'm so happy! I've been waiting for this chapter for forever!... Just please don't hate me afterwards.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the manga/anime Bleach.

* * *

"Fuck me..." Ichigo grumbled as he drove down the road.

If only she gave him one minute, even a second, he could explain to her.

But even then she wouldn't understand.

He's screwed up too many times and has had too many chances.

She just needed a break and so did he.

Ichigo stopped the car on the side of the road. He parked it and walked out into the cool night.

It was darker out then he expected and much cooler. He shoved his hands in his pockets and sauntered down the sidewalk.

Normally, the city was bursting with life around that time of night, but it was oddly quiet.

Ichigo kept moving when he heard a grunting noise coming from around a corner.

"…Hey… Hey, stop!" Ichigo saw the form of a man standing over a heap on the ground, kicking it. More whimpers can from the victim.

Ichigo ran to the back of the alley to save him. "I said stop!" Before he knew it he was staggering back and pain was throbbing up his temple.

"You picked the wrong one…" The robber flashed a knife which reflected off his blue hair.

Ichigo cursed and lunged after him. They both tussled on the ground, trying to get the upper hand on the knife. Ichigo finally got on the top and punch the man repeatedly until he felt something hard and cool on the back of his head.

"Get up." The voice said.

Ichigo stood off the blue haired man and raised his arms.

"What do you want?"

The man didn't respond.

Ichigo breathed deeply. "I don't have any money…" he slowly craned his neck to see his trapper.

That's when fire jetted through his midsection. The sound of a gunshot burst through his ears seconds after, then another.

Ichigo fell to his knees as the fire; the molten lava burned his insides, melting past his ribs all the way up to his shoulder.

It happened so fast, yet so slow. He could see the bullet exiting from the front of him, watching the shells depart but leaving behind the most unbearable pain he's ever felt.

"Hello… no. I've heard multiple gunshots on the side of the building on Thirtieth Street. He needs an ambulance."

Ichigo twitched as the two men stood over him. "What do we do now?" one of them asked. He bent down and picked up his knife from beside Ichigo.

The second one clapped his phone shut and said in a deadpan voice, "We leave."

**…**

Orihime stood in front of the stove and watched the water boil. The steam rising was so hot, so oppressive.

Well Orihime was tired of being oppressed.

The woman turned the burner until the tiny arrow pointed to off.

She sat down at the kitchen table and continued to watch the rising steam. It blew back and forth from the crushing wind coming from the open window.

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She was just so tired but she couldn't sleep. How could she?

Orihime walked over to the window and pushed it shut.

_Ring, ring. Ring r-_

Orihime eagerly picked up the phone before it could make another sound. "Hello? Ichigo- ...Yes… yes this is… What! He's where?" Orihime dropped the phone before the woman could finish her sentence.

She ran upstairs and grabbed Tamotsu from the bed. She then came back down and grabbed her keys.

* * *

_It_ watched them leave in the car and zoom down the road.

Gently, dressed in all black,_ it_ slid a knife against the latch until _it_ heard that sweet _clang_.

_It_ slowly pushed the window up and crawled through.

_It_ didn't touch or move anything. _It_ only had one goal. _It_ twisted on the burner and let the fire rise.

_It_ then pulled out a concealed match and lit it with the burner. _It_ took the match and placed it on the wooden table and watched it burn.

Soon the kitchen was ablaze.

The counters, curtains, stove and walls, all on fire.

_It_ slid through the window once again, carefully, and left it wide open, just as quietly as he came...

* * *

Orihime didn't waste any time getting down to the hospital. She ran to the front desk, still carrying a half conscious Tamotsu, and waited for the desk clerk to give her attention.

"What room is he in?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am. Who?"

"My husband! He's been shot. His name is Kurosaki. Ichigo Kurosaki, he's my husband."

"I think there was a man who came in with gunshot wounds... Right there where it says outpatients. I don't know what room…"

Orihime looked down the hall and began to cry. Her Ichigo was somewhere down that hall, bleeding somewhere. "Thank you."

The woman pushed Tamotsu up on her hip a little higher. She slowly peeked into every room until she found the familiar spiky orange hair.

Orihime cautiously stepped into the room and cried out at the sight of him.

"Excuse me, Miss! Visiting hours are over." A doctor strode in the room after her and stared at the woman with her sleeping child and tears.

"Please, I just got here…" she rasped. "I have to see him…"

The doctor tapped his pen on his fingers tips. "I can't authorize this."

"He's my husband... please."

He looked her over once more and responded after a moment. "...Fine, but only for a little bit. He needs his rest."

Orihime nodded and turned back to the sleeping man. "What happened to him…?"

The doctor picked up the clipboard on the nightstand. "It says here that he was shot in the cartilage in his shoulder and between the fifth and sixth true ribs. If you'd ask me, his shooter knew what he was doing. The shots were clean and came right out through the other side." He put the board down and place his hands in his pockets. "I'd say your husband is a lucky man."

"Thank you..."

The doctor left the room.

Orihime set Tamotsu down on a chair and sat down on the side of Ichigo's bed.

He had a bandage over his shoulder and one that wrapped around his torso. An IV's tube was wedged into his arm and it traveled all the way up to a bag full of red fluid. Orihime wanted to die just looking at him.

"Ichigo," she whispered and started to cry again. "I'm so sorry! It's my entire fault... If I didn't kick you out… You wouldn't have been out there. And you wouldn't have been shot… And, and…" Orihime wiped away the tears around her eyes but they kept falling. "I'm so sorry!" Orihime threw her arm around his neck and moved closer to him. "Ichigo!"

He grunted but didn't say anything.

"Ichigo… if you can hear me… I'm pregnant…." Orihime bit her lip and tried her hardest not to cry anymore than she already had. "And I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you sooner. I should have. But I didn't..."

Orihime searched his face but he wasn't there. He was quiet except for his long wheezes of breaths.

"I'm- I'm only ten weeks now…" Her tears gathered at her chin and fell down with a splatter on his pillow. "...And I didn't tell you because I was scared... I didn't know if… I just… I wanted to wait until I was past nine weeks…" Orihime held his limp hand and curled her fingers tightly around it. More tears fell, this time onto his cheek in circular water pellets. "I don't know what I would of done if I took away another innocent life. I couldn't, I would not be able to live with myself… But I want this child. I want your child." Orihime bent down and lightly kissed his unresponsive lips. "I love you…"

She pushed his orange hair out of his face. "…So much. I don't know what I'd do without you."

She laid her head gently on his chest to hear his heartbeat. Under his layers of muscles she could hear the firm rapping rhythm.

The curtains were open and she could see the bright crescent moon against the dark night sky. She only had so long to be in this moment with him, so she held him tight. Following his every heartbeat and long breathes.

"Orihime?"

Orihime looked up, and for the third time in her life felt that special thump in her heart.

"Wha-what are you doing here?" Orihime pushed her loose strands of burnt-orange hair behind her ears.

Aizen placed his bouquet of flowers on the nightstand. "I'm here to see Ichigo. I heard what happened."

Orihime stood. Her heart thumping in her ears. "How did you know…?"

"I know about all of my investors' whereabouts. I'm his new client."

**…**

Aizen walked over to the bed and looked at Orihime who sat at the other side.

"I got the call and made sure he was alright. I don't want my business partner getting hurt or even-"

"Stop." Orihime stood up. She couldn't do it. She couldn't deal with Ichigo and him. "I want you to go."

Aizen looked shocked. "But Orihime, I just here to-"

"Don't. I want you to go. You need to leave right n-"

"I'm sorry, but it's around that time to go."

Aizen turned to see the same doctor walking back in. Aizen nodded. "Of course. We were just leaving."

Orihime frowned and sniffled. "You were just leaving."

"You both need to leave." The doctor's voice was stern.

Orihime gave Ichigo one more kiss and a few more whispers and tears. She walked over to hoist Tamotsu up and picked up her keys, but they tumbled out her hands.

"Orihime," Aizen walked forward and picked up her keys. "How about I drive?"

Orihime bottom lip shook and she nodded. "…..Yes please. I would like that very much…"

In the car Orihime broke down in tears all over again. She couldn't control them.

"Orihime, it's going to be alright."

"But it isn't! It's all my fault!" Orihime sniveled and wiped her nose. She didn't want to look like a wreck in front of the man.

Orihime turned her head and looked him. He hadn't change, not one bit.

His hair looked as amazing as before, and even softer to the touch.

His face, just as beauti- she stopped her self- chiseled as before.

Tamotsu groaned from the back seat.

Orihime looked behind her to see him squirming.

"Is he alright?"

"He's fine..." Orihime stared out the window. "My house is down that road."

Aizen smiled. "I remember."

Orihime licked her lips. "When did you get-" She stopped short in her sentence when she saw thick gray smoke rising into the night sky.

"Aizen…"

He growled. "I see it."

They got closer.

"Aizen…"

The car crawled to a stop, blocked from the gathered cars and fire trucks outside the house.

"NO!" Orihime jumped out the car and ran the front of house. "No!" A fireman stopped her from moving any closer the burning building.

Men in yellow suits holding think hoses pointed the water high at the house. It was bright and the air was warm. She could see the swirling golds, yellows, and reds coming together and pouring out of the back windows. The roof, though still intact, let the fire chew into it, giving off the burning stench.

"Orihime!" Aizen's large hand pulled her back. "Look at me, look at me! There's nothing we can do."

"That's my house!" she screamed.

Aizen's chocolate eyes bored into hers. "I know. But right now, Tamotsu needs you."

Orihime looked over at the car and saw Tamotsu staring out the window and at the burning house.

"Tamotsu…"

After the firemen calmed and sat her down, they told her that the fire started in the kitchen and chewed its way to the back of the house. They said that a burner was on and there was gas in the air so the breeze from the window made the fire spread.

"But I didn't leave open the window! I didn't have the burner on! I didn't-"

"Mrs. Kurosaki, I think you need some rest."

"I don't need rest! I need you to listen! I didn't keep the burner on!"

The fireman nodded his head. "I understand. But either way, the fire was started and a quarter of your house is gone. We tried to save anything we could in the kitchen and in the backroom but everything was burned down."

Orihime didn't cry this time. Her tears seemed to have depleted for the day.

"Is there any place you can stay for the night? A family member of some sort?"

Orihime shook her head. Isshin lived too far away, and Tatsuki moved out of town. She didn't want Tamotsu waking up in a hotel.

"Anyone?"

She shook her head and sighed heavily in defeat. "No one…"

"She can stay with me." A deep voice suggested.

Aizen stood by her side, smiling. "You and Tamotsu can stay awhile, just until everything clears up."

The fireman nodded. "I don't see why not."

"So what do you say?" Aizen looked down at her.

"I…" Orihime looked over at Tamotsu who was dozing off again next to another fireman. She had to do what was best for him. "Only for one night…"

Aizen smiled. "That's alright with me."

**…**

Aizen held Tamotsu while Orihime opened the condo's door. The cold AC breeze flew over her skin.

Orihime grabbed for Tamotsu. "I can take it from here."

Aizen pointed. "I have a spare room down the hall."

The woman looked around in awe. How many buildings did this man own in the city? "This place is pretty big …"

"Well when you own the condominium you get the biggest housing."

Orihime made to walk down the hall, but stop and turned. "Thank you… for doing this for us. You didn't have to."

"Well I have my reasons."

Orihime turned and found the room. She placed Tamotsu in bed. She tucked him in under the covers and watched him sleep although she couldn't. After about thirty minutes, Orihime walked out the bedroom.

There was a long hallway and Orihime could see the light at the end of it. She walked towards it and opened the door.

Aizen was sitting down at a desk in what looked like his office, sipping on a glass and typing on a laptop. She called his name softly and he looked up with a smile.

"Orihime. Come and join me."

Orihime walked up to his desk. It was late in the night but Orihime has had her fair share of those.

"I don't normally stay up this late. But I'm working on this-"

"Aizen..." she interrupted and he smirked at her forwardness. "I just wanted to say that me and Tamotsu aren't staying long. But during those days, I don't want any funny business... Do you understand?"

"Orihime, my dear." Aizen stood and strolled up to her. "I'm always doing business and never is it amusing."

Orihime nodded apprehensively and looked him up and down, not sure to completely trust him. Either way, she didn't want him getting close to her son. "Good. I'm glad we're on the same page."

Aizen smiled. He lazily lifted his hand, reached out and twirled a lock of burnt-orange hair.

Physical contact... What a bitch.

She felt it again, the way he made her feel those years ago. She felt like that oblivious school girl. That naive mouse in the hands of a sadistic cat.

"Aizen…"

The man smirked. "All night you've been calling me that. How many times have I told you to call me Sousuke?"

Orihime breathed. She then remembered where she was, who she was with, and who she was. "Sousuke…" she backed away from his hand. "I have a son and a functioning marriage. My life is as perfect as it's ever going to be and I don't want to screw that up…" She turned on her heels, walked away and left him in the office.

* * *

**What did you think of this chapter? And who do you think the two shooters were? Hmm, you asked to see more of the two in Settle Down, so I decided to give them a little part. Do you think Ichigo had it coming? I sure did! And Orihime's preggers and I tried to drop as many hints about that as I could! And when she was crying over him in the hospitl I wanted to make it seem like that scene in episode 141 (I think that's the number) where Orihime was going to kiss him while he was sleeping, but she never got the chance to do so. But now she did!  
**

**Also, I think I need to ease up on the cursing. I don't like to curse and I don't really like cursing in general, but when I was writing a few of them slipped out!  
**

**Rocka.  
**

**P.S. I was asked by a fellow author if I now prefer Ichihime over Ichiruki. But it honestly depends on the story I'm reading. I can say today that I have a greater appreciation for the wonderful couple Ichihime. They just fit together perfectly and they make a better Romance! But if it's a great writer writing a great story about Ichiruki then yes, I will read it. But to answer the question, I think I like, no, love Ichihime more than Ichiruki!  
**

**P.P.S. Another reader asked me which chapter in Settle Down I liked the best. For me, I liked all of the chapters but my absolute favorites were Chapters 1,7, and 11. I love 1 because it was the start of it all! I love chapter 7 because it's the one were Aizen rejects her then she comes running back and sleeps with him (God, I love that scene)! And I loved chapter 11 because Ichigo and Orihime have this huge argument which I thought was extremely important to the development of the story... And they made love afterwards which I had to dial it down because my story was rated T.  
**

**So, which chapter did you like the best?!  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **I'm so sorry guys! Where it says Doc Manager, I pressed the wrong Chapter 4. I hope you all forgive me. I've been so out of it this week, everything for me has been going wrong, and now I screwed this up! I'm really sorry, it was extremely clumsy of me. Thank you for all of the messages for telling me it was from my other story Broken, I really appreciate it.

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Bleach, Byakuya wouldn't be dead! (I apologize to anyone who didn't know that bit of information!)

* * *

Orihime sat up, slowly, trying to bring her mind back up to speed on the events of what happened last night.

…And how she happened to wake up Sousuke Aizen's condo.

Orihime stretched her arms high above her head and looked down next to her. Panic struck her heart when she saw Tamotsu wasn't lying next to her.

"Tamot-" She stopped when she heard his angelic laugh in the other room.

Getting out of bed, Orihime walked to the main room where Aizen and Tamotsu were sitting at the dining table.

Tamotsu had a cup in his hand and orange colored liquid was dripping between his lips from all of the laughter.

Aizen was sitting next to him with his hands folded, watching the boy and smiling.

"Okay, what's so funny?" Orihime walked over to the table and sat down.

"I was just asking Tamotsu if he knew all of the planets."

Orihime looked at her son. "And what did you say?"

"I said Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto!" He puffed out his chest in triumph.

Orihime smiled and rubbed her son's shagging brown head. "Very good!"

"But then Mister said Pluto wasn't a planet anymore! And I said it was still part of our solar system!" Tamotsu took another sip of his orange juice. "All because it's small doesn't make it any less important!"

"But why were you laughing?"

Tamotsu smiled. "Because Mister asked me why Mickey Mouse went to space."

The woman looked over at the smirking man. "Oh, yeah. Why?"

The child smiled. "To find Pluto!"

Orihime giggled.

Aizen stood. "Orihime, would you like some breakfast?"

"Oh… no, no." Orihime made a split decision and stood too. "I'll make it!"

It felt… Orihime didn't want to like it. She didn't want to like that overwhelming feeling. But the scene before her just felt… right…. perfect even.

She flipped over a sizzling pancake.

Aizen said something else and Tamotsu threw his head back in laughter.

"Tamotsu it isn't polite to laugh with your mouth full." Orihime finished piling the pancakes three plates.

"I'll get the syrup." Aizen offered.

The three of them sat down at the table together making light conversation.

And for a second, just a second, Orihime wondered if her life could always be carefree just as it was in that moment.

**…**

Orihime lightly knocked on the door and let herself in.

She tiptoed into the room and sat on the bed. Careful not to touch his wounds, Orihime delicately pushed against his chest. "Ichigo… Ichigo can you hear me? Wake up."

He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. "…Orihime?"

"It's me!" Orihime wrapped her arms around him not caring about his wounds. He made a weird grunting sound but encircled his right arm around her too. "Sorry, I'm just so happy to see you awake."

Ichigo moved up on the bed. "Well a few gunshots aren't going to bring me down." He looked up at his wife and saw that familiar look in her eyes. "Orihime, don't cry. Please. Everything's going to be alright."

"But… but… You have two holes in your body. And it's my entire fault!" Orihime turned her face away from his'.

He placed his hand on her shoulder. "It wasn't your fault. It was me trying to be a hero again. I've should of known it was organized. Things are beginning to get hectic."

Orihime looked back at him, her face still soggy with tears. "Organized? Do you mean like a set-up?" Orihime's gray eyes widened and her voice heightened. "Is someone trying to kill you?!"

Ichigo shook his head. "No I don't think they were trying to do that. They just wanted to take me out of the picture for a while, or to try to scare me even. But that's not happening." Ichigo closed his eyes for a minute as if he was trying to compose himself. "I got a call from Ishida this morning. It looks as if they're targeting my family now…" He scowled. "But when they started the fire, they knew you guys weren't in there. That's the part that sickens me."

Orihime shook her head confused. "Wait, why are people after us? What do they want? Why do they want to 'take you out of the picture'?"

Ichigo placed his hand from her shoulder to on top of hers. "Just some really bad men who don't like what I do for a living…"

Orihime took a moment to soak it all in. "…Who do you think is behind it?"

"I don't know..." Ichigo rubbed her wet cheek with his thumb. "How about we talk about something else?" By the look in his eyes, Orihime could tell that he was willing her to say something positive. "Where's Tamotsu?"

"I dropped him off a preschool." Orihime debated on telling him about parent-teacher conference.

"Good," he breathed. "I didn't want him to see me like this…"

Orihime rubbed his unbandaged shoulder. "He'll never look at you differently. He loves you too much." Orihime remembered how Tamotsu would imitate Ichigo when he worked in his office. "He worships you."

Ichigo placed his hand over hers' and smiled. "...I...I heard you talking to me... I don't know how to explain it. But I woke up this morning… And I knew…"

Orihime put her head down. "I'm… I…"

"Hey, it's okay. I'm glad I know now. Knowing you, you'd probably wait to tell right up to the delivery."

Orihime giggled but it wasn't light or hearty. "Ichigo… is this crazy?"

"Huh?"

"What we're doing. Is having another baby crazy?" Orihime pushed her hair out of her face. "Kisuke said that-"

"Kisuke said a lot of things."

"But he'd never lie to us." She looked up at him. "He's our friend and he only wants to help… So is having another one crazy?"

Ichigo smirked. "Yes, it is. But if it doesn't work out, it won't stop us. We'll keep trying."

"But… Ichigo…" Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. "… I don't want to hurt anymore…" Just thinking about it all made her body hurt. If... just to think... if she lost this baby... It was all too much.

"Then we'll find an alternative." Ichigo grabbed her hand squeezed tight. "We'll keep trying until we get it right."

Orihime looked at him, really looked at him. He had dark circles under his eyes, there were bandages wrapped tightly around his body and he looked the palest she had even seen him.

"Do you really think we can do it?"

"Think?" he scoffed. "I know we can."

**…**

They sat for another hour just talking. Orihime didn't realize how much she hadn't in the past month.

She missed it when they were just being themselves with each other.

They talked about Aizen and how Ichigo wanted to protect her by not telling her about his new client.

"So you know..."

Orihime didn't say anything so he took her silence as an invitation to explain himself.

"...I didn't want to take him on, but my advisers said it would be good for the company. I didn't tell you because I knew it word had opened a whole new can of worms."

Orihime continued staring at the floor. "Is this the truth or just one of your elaborate lies...?"

Ichigo chuckled but she was serious.

"It's the truth. Why don't you believe me?"

She pushed her hair up and over her head but still didn't look at him. "I find that a little hard to do these days..."

They talked about the fire and what was the next step to take. Ichigo said he could get his really good friend, Chad, to help them out.

"That reminds me. What hotel are you guys staying at?"

Orihime's eyebrows shot up. "…Um… we are… we're staying with the neighbors."

"Who? Mr. and Mrs. Nakashima? I thought they didn't like us…."

Orihime shrugged. "Well… they did send Tamotsu a present when he was born…"

"Huh." Ichigo considered. "I guess some people can change…"

"Yeah," she agreed warily. "They can."

She hated herself for lying so easily. It shamed her that she was getting better at it.

Orihime wanted to stay longer but he needed his rest. The doctors said he'd be in for another five days. They also kept saying he was lucky, but Ichigo knew better.

Now Orihime was at the bakery, stacking a pile of mini chocolate cakes into the display window.

"Hmm…" She felt a cool shadow breeze over her. "I'd like one of those please." She knew that voice...

Orihime looked up and saw Aizen staring down at her.

Could she never get away from him? ...Did she want to get away from him…?

"Oh, um. Sure." Orihime took one and placed it carefully in its container and closed it up.

"The shop looks wonderful."

Orihime blushed. "Thank you."

Michiru pretended to wrap up a decorated box, but she was listening intently to their conversation.

He paid and took the container. "How about I take you and Tamotsu out for the rest of the day?"

Orihime's brow crumbled. "I don't know if that's-"

"Would you excuse us a minute, please!" Michiru grabbed Orihime and pulled her into the kitchen. Michiru slammed Orihime against the wall and shook her shoulders. "What the hell are you thinking? He's gorgeous and rich!"

Orihime was offended. "If you haven't remembered, I have a husband and son. I don't need any date from _Sousuke Aizen_."

"If you haven't remembered, your husband is in the hospital." Michiru looked through the circular window in the door. "See! Even your son likes him."

Orihime and Michiru peeked out from kitchen door.

Aizen sat down at one of the tables across from Tamotsu. They opened the box and started eating the tiny cake. Tamotsu smiling the widest she's seen in a long time, cake smothering his tiny fingertips.

Ryō looked up from her icing. "What are you guys up to?"

Michiru waved her over. "Shouldn't she go out with this man?"

By now, all three women had their heads sticking out of the slightly ajar door. Aizen stopped chewing and looked over at them, smirked and waved. The woman all hurriedly backed away from the door.

Ryō thought for a moment. "Like on a date?"

"No! Not like a date! Technically it won't be a date because Tamotsu would be with them. Think of it as a rendezvous, or a tryst."

Orihime flinched at the last word.

"No! Not a tryst. More of a small get-together of some sort" Michiru looked up at Ryō for some more help. "Ryō what do you think?"

" Well…" The woman with long dark hair put her hands on her hips. "He is a hunk."

"Yeah, a real beef-cake!" Michiru bounced on the balls of her feet. "Come on, Orihime! With everything that's going on in your life, you need a little fun!"

Orihime shook her head but smiled weakly. "…Fun always leads to trouble."

"You never know… Small doses of trouble can be a good thing."

**…**

"How long have you been back?" Orihime sat back on the sofa and watch Tamotsu stomp around the living room with Kon dragging behind as if in a marching band. Her eyes were focused on her son, but the question was directed to Aizen.

"For a while now. I'm here working on my new night club." The man poured water in to two cups and handed her one.

Orihime nodded. "I've heard. What is it called again?"

"It's named Kyōka Suigetsu." Aizen smiled and took a sip of his drink. "Enough about me… What about you? The bakery looks great."

Orihime blushed at his flattery again. "Well it should. I put so much money into it… I wouldn't even let Ichigo help."

"Why?"

Orihime shrugged. "I wanted something that was mine… I wanted to be able to say that I did that! I made it on my own." Orihime smiled to herself. "But of course he did buy the building for me and he did give me hype, but that was it. I refused to take any money from him... and look where I am now!"

"You're with a successful business."

"Mmhm." Orihime gave a triumphant smile. "It feels good."

"So, do you have a place to stay after you leave tomorrow's tomorrow?"

"Um…" Orihime's smile dropped a notch. "We're working on it…"

"Mommy, can we play cards?" Tamotsu ran up to her knees and gave her his dazzling smile.

"Sousuke?"

Aizen pointed behind him. "I keep a deck in the back."

Orihime looked down at her son. "Monkey, what do you say?"

The child asked shyly. "Mister, can we please play cards?"

"What game?"

Tamotsu threw his hands in the air. "I declare war!"

"It's his favorite."

"Well then I guess we're playing cards."

Aizen produced a deck of red cars still crisp as if it was opened yesterday.

It was around that time in the game where Tamotsu had the majority of the cards and Aizen and Orihime were left with less than ten cards.

"Mommy!"

"Yes, Monkey."

"Mommy it's just like family night! When we play the games!"

Orihime slowly frowned. She didn't like that statement. "Um… no. No it's not like that, Monkey…"

Orihime placed her cards down on the table. She refused to make eye contact with Aizen. "I think its bedtime, Tamotsu."

"But mommy!"

"What did I say?"

Tamotsu sulkily placed the cards down and walked to the bedroom with Orihime.

**…**

Orihime looked up.

She was surrounded by pillows. Orihime reached behind her and touched one. "So soft…" she whispered.

The woman sat up. What she wore was different. She was now wearing a thin silky night gown. It was white with a lace pattern on the neckline which swoop way too low for a woman with her sized cleavage.

The whole room was completely different too. She wasn't in Aizen's home. This place was much bigger.

Orihime planted her feet on the cool ground. She looked around the elaborate room. It was beautiful.

Outside the door, Orihime could see a faint light. She walked towards it.

A long hall was on the other side.

It stretched down far. The walls were covered in beautiful paintings of no faces. The ceiling in intricate designs of gold glimmered in the light form the open door down the hall.

Orihime took one step at a time until she reached the entrance. She pushed it open with one hand and was astonished to see what was on the other side.

Aizen looked up from his papers. He was sitting on edge of a large desk, talking on the phone.

Orihime walked in and immediately he stopped what he was doing. Dropping the phone and papers, Aizen strode over to her and brought her up into a kiss.

And she let him.

"_No…" _Orihime mumbled and turned under the sheets.

"Yes," she murmured when Aizen lifted her onto the desk and kissed her ferociously.

"_No… Stop, please…"_

"Ahh… Don't stop…"

Aizen pushed her down on the desk and hovered over her.

Orihime clawed at the pillows. She needed to get away from him.

Orihime clawed at his back, ripping his shirt off. She needed to get closer.

Her back arched off the bed. _"I don't want this… stop, please…"_

Orihime arched her body into his'. "Don't make me wait any longer. I want this so bad."

Aizen smirked and kissed her again.

Orihime recoiled.

He looped his fingers around the thin straps on the nightgown and slid the one piece over her head. It fell to the floor without a sound.

"_Stop… get off of me…"_

Orihime laid back while he worked his magic on her, moving faster against her. "Yes…"

"_No…"_

The other Orihime smirked at the first's displeasure. She pulled Aizen face back up to her's. "Sousuke... I love you..." she whispered.

"_No..."_

Orihime fell off the bed with a thump. She didn't move but just breathed. "What is wrong with me?" she said out loud. How could she dream about that man? That man in the other room when she had a husband in the hospital and a child in the bed?

Orihime heard Tamotsu move around on the top of the bed but nothing after that.

The woman sat up but didn't make to go back on the bed. Orihime curled her legs higher until they reached her chin, and wrapped her arms around them.

Was it him? Was he messing with her head? Or was it her who was truly out of her mind?

Outside, the pitter-patter of rain drummed against the window. Orihime held her flat stomach and rubbed it gently. She hoped she didn't hurt the baby.

The woman closed her eyes to nature's music.

She soon fell back to sleep.

* * *

**Phew! So glad this chapter is over! I'm sorry that I didn't get around to messaging all of you this week. Something about this week was really off and I felt like this big blah of nothing. Just really depressed. But meh, I hope your reviews will cheer me up!**

**I want to say this chapter is a filler, but it's not. Chapter five will probably be the turning point of the whole story though, so be prepared!**

**And again, I'm reall sorry for the mix up and the confusion, I am literally dying right now.**

**Rocka.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Last week was a complete disaster so I'm apologizing again. And I know that everyone makes mistakes but you can only leave it to me to make as dumb a mistake as that one.**  
**

**Just wanted to throw this out there again: I can't stand flamers or to be flamed. Not because that what they say is mean and unnecessary and completely uncalled for. (Everyone is entitled to their own opinion not matter how rude.) It's because they don't have the balls to log in to , type in their email and password, click on my story, and write a review. It's not like I'll go around bashing you because you decided to flame me. It's the principle. Speak up. Don't hide behind a 'Guest' mask or name yourself 'abc'. It frustrates me to no end when I get reviews that aren't constructive criticism and I have to delete them because they aren't from a member on the site and what they say is really terrible. If someone thinks Orihime is a slut in my story, go ahead and say it. I don't care. The least you can do is kill it with kindness(constructive criticism) or you could keep your mouth shut. I've had a bad- no terrible week, and the last thing I need is someone named 'abc' to hate on my story.

Sorry to those who had to read that. I'm just blowing out some unwanted steam. You may proceed reading you awesomers!

**Disclaimer:** Do I have to write "I don't own Bleach"? or is the word "Disclaimer" enough? Either way, I don't own Bleach.**  
**

* * *

"Oh, no! Oh, no!" Orihime jumped out of her van and ran to the entrance of the preschool building.

She opened the front doors and ran to Tamotsu's teacher's office. Before she walked in she leaned against the door. Lately she had been feeling so woozy. Orihime came to the conclusion that it was just the baby asserting its place in her body.

"I'm so sorry that I'm late…" Orihime opened the door and trailed off at the sight.

Miss Haruguchi sipped on a cup of tea and laughed at a joke. When she looked up she saw Orihime standing at the door. "Oh! Hello Kurosaki-san! Please come in."

"Yes," Aizen turned to look behind him in his chair. "Yes, please join us."

Orihime slowly walked to the desk and sat down at the second chair. Behind her, Tamotsu sat quietly, dozing off in his chair.

"Orihime, would you like some tea?" It was the first time Orihime had ever seen Miss Haruguchi smile genuinely.

Orihime shook her head. "…No, I'm fine."

"Me and your husband, Sousuke were just discu-"

"He is not my husband!" Orihime interrupted quickly and her cheeks prickled with heat.

The room fell quiet.

"Well… I just assumed… He was here and he and Tamotsu look just alike…" Miss Haruguchi sipped on her tea quietly.

Orihime lowered her eyes.

"Orihime and I are old friends. I believe it was coincidence that his resemblance to me is uncanny." Aizen smiled at Orihime. "Don't you agree?"

Orihime squeaked and nodded her head.

"Miss Haruguchi, you may proceed."

The older woman cleared her throat. "So, as I was saying, Tamotsu is a bright young boy. He is more advanced than any of the other children in my school."

Aizen cut in. "Tamotsu has come to his mother on multiple occasions stating that his teacher, you, has embarrassed and challenged him in nonacademic ways. Is this not true?"

Orihime and Miss Haruguchi's eyes widened. The older woman adjusted her glasses. "Um… well. I believe that if he has the mouth he should learn that what you say comes with consequences."

Aizen furrowed his brow. "Is that not putting this woman's child in a hostile environment?"

"Tamotsu is perfectly capable-"

"No matter if he is capable or not. He is a child. A good one at that. In my personal analysis, he has never, not once, sassed or talked back to me."

Orihime watched the exchange. Each time she tried to justify herself, he'd come with a response quicker than lightning.

"In all my years I have never had a child such as Tamotsu. He has leaderships skills and social skills that of a third grader. He's able to persuade the other child into doing anything he wants."

"And is that such a bad thing? He expanding what he's learned and using it to the best of his abilities. He is exploring and understanding. That is how we grow."

Miss Haruguchi sat shell-shocked. Orihime would never talk to anyone like that before. She smiled inwardly. If Aizen wasn't here, she wouldn't have been able to stand up to the scary woman.

"Have you ever considered bumping Tamotsu up a level?" Orihime asked.

The woman adjusted her glasses again. "No, no. That is a complicated procedure that always falls through."

Aizen came to the rescue again. "He is advanced. You said so your self did you not? Or was that needless adulation?"

"I-I…Um…" Miss Haruguchi slipped off her glasses and sighed. "What grade were you bearing in mind?"

Orihime smiled. "First grade. Possibly second."

"I… I think it's possible. There are many things to consider, information that's not in my hands at the moment. There's a test that he has to take."

Aizen looked over at Orihime and smiled back. "Whatever needs to be done, we'll do."

* * *

_It_ came again, this time, with more than one.

_It _pressed the button on the remote and in a few beeps, the alarm was deactivated.

_They_ slid through, sneakily, slyly, as a cat, wearing all black so _they_ wouldn't be seen.

Inside, _they_ went through the cabinets, cash registers, closets and scoped the place from top to bottom. _They_ found what they were looking for and took everything from inside of it.

When the search was done, _they_ took their bats and swung breaking and destroying everything in sight, stealing all of the money even though it held no value to _them_.

One of _them_ took a spray paint bottle and wrote across the wall in red.

Afterwards, _they_ broke the front windows and ran away just as sneakily but not as quietly as they came in.

* * *

Ichigo stared out the hospital window.

He was tired of sitting around and lying about like a vegetable.

He wanted to go home. He wanted to see his wife and son. He wanted to be near his unborn child. "Orihime…" he whispered to himself.

"Ichigo..?"

Ichigo looked over to see who was at the door.

"Rukia!" He sat up. "You can't be here."

"I know, I know." She walked in and sat by his bed, her violet eye shining. "But when I found out I tried to stay away but I couldn't."

"I'm out of here in a few days. Ishida has been on top of everything-"

"I don't want to hear it. I'm not here to talk about me." Rukia smiled. "How are you feeling?"

He sighed warily. "…Much better…"

**…**

"Sousuke… That was amazing in there… I don't know how to thank you."

Aizen and Orihime walked out of the tiny preschool. Tamotsu was sleeping peacefully over Aizen's shoulder.

"It was nothing. I only want the best for Tamotsu."

Orihime stopped and looked up at him. "That's… very sweet of you."

Aizen smiled and lowered his thick lashes. "I was thinking that maybe you don't have to leave so soon. You told me yourself that you don't like hotels."

"I know, but I can't get too comfortable." Orihime reached out and touched the back of Tamotsu's head. "I have Tamotsu to worry about."

Aizen stepped closer. "Orihime..." his voice deepened. "I care for Tamotsu too."

Orihime continued staring up into his eyes. They were so large and chocolaty and swirling... Why was this happening to her now? "Why…?" Orihime could feel herself gravitating towards him when her phone rang. "Hello... Michiru? Slow down, I can't, I can't hear you… Are you serious?! …I'll be done there in a minute."

**…**

The man in black clicked away on his camera.

He just couldn't get enough of what was before him.

Rukia Kuchiki, of the Noble Kuchiki family, was entering and just leaving a hospital. Ichigo Kurosaki, his lead, was in that hospital. Was it coincidence?

I think not!

"You just wait. All of you!" he mumbled to himself. "These pictures are going to cost a fortune!"

**…**

"Oh my God…" Orihime got out of the car and stared at her ruined bakery.

The windows were bashed open, the chairs and seats broken and strewn across the room. On the back wall, WHORE was spray painted in large red words.

Michiru and Ryō stood, huddled outside by other bystanders.

Orihime ran to them. "What happened?"

Ryō's eyes were blotchy and she shook her head. "We were called down here by the station. Someone broke in."

The police told her that the alarm didn't go off and they must have disarmed it somehow. Money in the cash register was all gone and there seemed to be a safe in the backroom that was broken in to.

Orihime didn't really care for what the police had said. There was nothing they could do. Orihime wasn't a woman of revenge, so she didn't care if they found them and punished them. What was done was done and no one could change the past. No one could change the fact that someone decided to ruin her dream.

"Why would anyone do this?" Orihime whispered. She walked along the broken glass scattered across the ground.

She stepped under the yellow police line. She walked past the wreckage, trying her hardest to keep her composure.

On the ground before her feet, Orihime looked down and saw a paper torn in half. She picked it up and placed them together and saw that it was Tamotsu's picture. The picture he had drawn for her a year ago. It was the picture of the horse and the mountains and the river.

The woman turned the paper over and saw his child-like handwriting _For Mommy_ on the back. A fat drop of water plopped down on the paper. Orihime wiped away another tear that threatened to fall.

"Why...? I don't understand…"

"Orihime. It'll be okay." Aizen placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Sousuke… Who would do something so horrible… so evil?"

Aizen placed both hands on her shoulders and twisted her around. "I don't know. But whoever it was, we'll find them. They'll get what they deserve."

"Oh, Sousuke! How can I do this again? I don't have enough money to do it all over… I can't have my bakery!" Orihime's bottom lip shook and she brought up her hands to her chest as if it could help her heart from squeezing so tightly.

Aizen pulled her against his chest and gently stroked her hair. "We'll figure it out somehow. I know we will."

"But Sousuke-"

"Orihime I have a proposal to make."

Orihime stiffened. "What?"

Aizen looked on at the battered room. "I will help you financially to rebuild this bakery from the ground up."

Orihime pushed off his chest to look at his face. "What do I have to do in return?"

Aizen looked down at her. "…In return, I want to spend more time with you and Tamotsu. Stay with me awhile longer."

**…**

Her stomach rumbled in an unfamiliar manner, and she gave a tiny groan at the sudden pain.

She closed her eyes briefly, and then continued to pat Tamotsu's thick dark hair.

"My little Monkey… My sweet little baby-cakes… I love you so much…" Orihime kissed her son on the cheek and watched him sleep.

Tamotsu groaned and turned over under the sheets. "Mommy…"

Orihime gently brushed his dark shaggy hair out of his face. "Yes, Monkey?"

"Mommy," he lightly opened his brown eyes."You told me never lie, right?"

Orihime stopped brushing, afraid of what would come next. "…Yes…"

Tamotsu was fighting hard to finish his sentence. "Then why did you fib to me, mommy?"

Orihime sat up straight. "Tamotsu… What do you mean?"

"Mister said that I was lied to." The child pushed on with all his might, his eyes lowering with sleepiness. "He said that daddy… daddy isn't who I think he is… Mister said that everything I know… is a lie…" Tamotsu closed his eyes.

Orihime's mouth sat opened. How dare him. How… how… how dare he tell that to her son!

Orihime walked out the bedroom and down the hall. It felt like her dream all over again.

Down the long hallway, just waiting, anticipating what was on the other side of that door.

She continued walking until she reached his office and stormed inside.

Of course, he was there sitting on his desk. He immediately looked up from his phone and papers and smiled.

"Hello, Orihi-"

"You bastard!" Orihime took his phone and slammed it into the base.

Aizen stood. "What is this about?" he demanded.

Orihime wasn't going to back down. She wasn't intimidated. "What you said to my son! You have no right!"

Aizen paused, calculating. He took his time and leisurely walked around the desk and sat down in his white, long, wing backed chair. "On the contrary, I have every right."

Orihime pointed out the door and down the hall behind her. "He called me a liar!"

"Are you denying it?" Aizen rested his chin on his folded hands and smiled wider, inch by inch.

"What do you think?" Why wasn't he getting it? What was wrong with him?!

"What do I think?"

Orihime squeezed her hands into fist and shut her eyes. "I'm so sick of this. We're leaving right now."

Aizen stood and walked back around the desk and over to a drawer by the wide window. "You're running away, Orihime."

She spun around angrily. "I have never told my son a lie, ever!"

Aizen pulled a file out of the drawer. "You have never told him the complete truth either."

She thought for a moment. "What do you mean?"

Aizen walked back over to his desk. "You never told him who his real father is."

Orihime felt as though she was punched in the face. "You… You don't do that… Don't. You have no idea… No right…."

"But I do." Aizen, again, leaned against the front of his desk and opened the file. "I wasn't one hundred percent sure although all the facts were there. Yesterday I got a test back from the lab. It states the conclusion that Sousuke Aizen, me, is 99.9999% the biological father of Tamotsu Kurosaki."

Orihime's world shattered. Just like a book to a mirror.

"I…"

"Orihime? Do you understand what I just told you? Orihime?"

Orihime staggered back until she fell against the wall behind her. She was grateful for the support, if not, she would have fainted. "I… You…"

"Orihime." Aizen's lids lowered and his voice became hard and cold, unlike anything she had ever heard from him before. "I am taking you to court for sole custody over my son."

* * *

**Okay. I think I know what you all are thinking: What the hell? But, sadly, yes. You read the last part right. Aizen wants his son and he's taking her to court for him.  
**

**It was a little hard for me to write this chapter because there were many POVs I wanted to add but I had to cut many of them because I didn't want to confuse everyone. So I hop that everything made sense.  
**

**The next chapter will be a time skip, just a heads up.**

**Rocka.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **My plot is unique, **point blank**.

~My characterization is not an insult to Kubo because that's what ffnet is for. I'm able to do what you want with the characters. I'm allowed to express myself and write until my heart's content. _**Bleach isn't sacred. **_Stop acting like it is. It's call fanfiction for a reason. It's fictional writing from the fans. If I want to make Orihime a flying purple platypus, I can. If I want to make Ichigo a pregnant homosexual, I can. I hope you understand my point and where I'm coming from. Stop acting like infidelity and adult situations don't exist.

If anyone has anymore questions about the way I write, don't ask anymore. I'm sick of explaining myself.

One more thing**: If you do not like then do not read. This is the last time I'm saying it. It's a _simple_** **_concept_. Turn the other cheek and you won't have to worry about how my writing is or how I portray my characters. If you want the characters to stay in their rightful and respectful surroundings, then read the manga or watch the anime.  
**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything but my writing.**  
**

* * *

Tamotsu poked his head around the corner.

…They were yelling again…

"I can't believe you lied about where you were staying!"

His mother rubbed the back of her hand on her wet cheek. "We needed somewhere to stay!"

"You could have gone anywhere but with him!"

…He didn't know what they were saying… all he heard was loud voices…

His father kept pushing his hand through his hair and raising his voice.

"Orihime-" he said. "I don't care if he's not my-"

"Don't say that!" His mother had water coming down her face again. She wiped at them but they kept coming. "Don't you ever say that…"

His father slapped his hand against the papers he was holding. "There's proof, Orihime… There's nothing we can change about that!"

More shouting.

Tamotsu covered his ears and continued to watch.

Back and forth, back and forth…

"One mistake! I made one mistake!"

"And now we're paying for it!"

His father held up the paper and slammed it on the table.

His mother shielded her face from him and tried to walk away.

His father reached out for her but groaned and held his side. He breathed hard and leaned against the table.

His mother gasped and ran back to him. She sat him down in a chair.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her close.

Tamotsu didn't understand…

She sat on his lap and smiled.

They both began to slowly rub her tummy.

Their lips touched.

…Why were they rubbing her stomach? Weren't they just arguing? ...Why was it all happening? Why were they always upset?

Was it because of her stomach?

...Is there something in there?

Tamotsu lowered his eyes from the scene.

He walked away from the ajar door and silently slunk down the hall.

* * *

**A month and a half later.**

* * *

Orihime stared at her son run around in round circles. He stopped and took a few breaths then continued.

The woman could barely stand to be in the house anymore. Ichigo had his good friend Chad fix up the kitchen and deck, along with their good friends of headaches, banging and noise.

"Orihime?"

The woman looked up and saw Ichigo looking at Tamotsu run around the lawn.

He sat down next to her on the grass and they watched him together.

"Are you ready?" He didn't look at Orihime but the question was directed to her.

"No… I'm not."

Tamotsu picked up his toy truck and pushed it along the grass. A smile quickly crossed her lips and disappeared.

"It's going to be-"

Running her fingers through her hair, Orihime sighed. "Can we talk about this later…"

Ichigo faced her. "I just want you to see-"

"The last thing I want to think about is my son being taken from me… Please don't bring it up again." Orihime's eyes were still trained on Tamotsu.

Ichigo blew out hot air of frustration. "Fine, we'll talk about it later…"

The woman frowned. "I don't want to talk about it at all."

Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose then rubbed out the irritation. "Well that's not an option for us."

Orihime stood. She couldn't take it anymore. "Tamotsu! Come on, Monkey. Let's go get lunch!"

Tamotsu dropped his truck and ran before his mother. She grabbed his hand and stormed off the property.

She was tired. So tired. Tired of all the noise coming from kitchen. The noise coming from the men in suits. The noise coming from the lawyers. The noise coming from Ichigo.

Orihime tugged at Tamotsu harder.

She and her son marched down the street. She kept hearing her name being called over and over again. Her head was beginning to throb all over again.

"Mommy! Mommy!"

"What!" Orihime shouted and turned around and looked down at a stunned Tamotsu.

She immediately regretted it.

His bottom lip trembled and he burst in tears.

She had never raised her voice that loud at him, never ever... until now.

She bent down to his level and apologized. He looked from behind his hands covering his face.

"I'm sorry, honey. What was wrong?"

"You were… holding… my hand too tight…" He stuttered over his words.

Orihime paused, smiled, and then encircled her arms around the sobbing child. "I'll never be able to hold you tight enough…"

* * *

**The next night.**

* * *

Orihime stroked a brush through her long wet hair.

She sat in front of her vanity and took her time with all of the kinks and potential knots.

"Orihime…?"

Orihime looked at her mirror and saw Ichigo coming into their bedroom.

"Yeah?"

He sighed and rubbed the back of his stiff neck. Long nights reading through papers with the lawyers had taken a toll on him. "You know what we need to talk about…"

Orihime sighed. Of course she knew what he wanted to talk about. She's been avoiding it all day. "Yes… I know."

Ichigo sat on the edge of the bed. "We go to the court tomorrow, and I want you to be prepared."

"Ichigo… I know." Orihime placed her brushed down. This conversation was about to go downhill, and she didn't want to end up throwing the hair tool at him.

"I just want you to understand-"

"I know!" Orihime turned around in her chair. "Why wouldn't I understand? And I've been trying my hardest to block it out of my mind for the past month... I've been focusing on the bakery with the money I don't have and with the baby that I'm scared to give birth to and Tamotsu… Why would you think that I'd want that to be on my mind?"

"I want you to know that it could go either way." Ichigo slipped off his shirt.

Orihime watched him throw the shirt to the ground. "Why would you think like that?"

Ichigo walked out of the room and into his own walk-in closet. "Because it could happen!"

Orihime turned back around in her chair and crossed her arms. "Oh how optimistic of you!"

"I didn't ask for an argument, Orihime. I just wanted to let you know that there are possibilities."

Orihime got up from her vanity and over to his closet. He was pulling a fresh T-shirt on over his head. "Tell me everything will be okay."

His head poked out of the top of the shirt. "Huh?"

Orihime rest her back against the wall and sighed heavily. "Just tell me that everything will be okay..."

"But-"

"No. Please, Ichigo... I'm begging you to just tell me it'll be alright…"

Ichigo huffed. "Everything will be okay…" he quickly said with an irritated voice. He kicked his pants off. She knew she'd have to pick those up in the morning and began to become even more upset then she was before.

"No! Say it like you mean it!"

"Orihime…" He lowered his head then looked back up at his pregnant wife. "We will get past this… bump in the road. It's another test for us." He strode over and held her soft cheeks with his large hands. "We'll pass it. You have to believe in us. Everything will be okay."

Orihime stood still for a moment. "Do you really mean all that?" She said through her squeezed cheeks.

"It's the truth." He let her face go.

Orihime lifted her hand and raked her fingers through his orange hair. "You only told me what I wanted to hear..." she whispered.

He flashed Orihime his famous smile. "That's also the truth."

That smile was so rare from him. Not just in these days but in all days. She knew it was something special when he gave her that ear to ear grin that only she could accomplish when others had failed.

Orihime smiled and crawled into his arms. "Thank you."

**…**

The woman looked up at the huge, intimidating building.

"It's going to be okay," Ichigo whispered in her ear from behind. He took her hand, Tamotsu in the other, and all three of them walked up the wide stairs.

Inside, there was a large room with people stirring about. In the court room, the family met up with their attorney, Osamu Ishino. He had thinning brown hair, and small square cut glasses.

"Ichigo, I really don't want to do this…" She crossed her arms, shielding herself, and lowered her voice. "Tamotsu doesn't need this…"

They had planned for Tamotsu to stay at Isshin's during the hearing, but Orihime couldn't bare to part with him at the moment.

Ichigo rubbed her arms. "Just another bump in the road," he reminded.

The doors opened and in walked _him_. A few other men were behind him. One of them Orihime recognized… He had dark braids, an orange scarf, and lightly tinted shades… Yes, she's definitely has seen him before.

If she wasn't about four months pregnant and if there weren't so many people around, she'd walk right up to him a smack that smug look right off his face.

Orihime shook her head. She was so aggressive lately. Maybe it was because of the baby. No matter how evil someone was, Orihime would never dream of hitting them.

"Orihime, how have you been?" He took in her flushed face and tiny bump. "Hopefully the baby is well."

"She's been fine, Aizen." Ichigo spat back.

Aizen turned his head towards Ichigo. "I believe I was addressing Orihime."

Ichigo stood in front of Orihime and crossed his arms. "You don't get to call her that."

Aizen raised a brow. "I have called her by her birth given name many times before."

Ichigo scowled. "That's about to change. You should call her Mrs. Kurosaki."

"Ichigo." She placed her hand on his chest to calm him. She shook her head and gave him a long stare. "It's not worth it…"

One of Aizen's men called his name. Aizen looked behind him. "…I wish you all the best in today's hearing."

They all took their seats and the judge soon came out.

The man with the orange scarf and shades turned out to be his own attorney, a man named Kaname Tōsen.

Orihime had once seen him in the restaurant when Aizen and her were having a conversation... Those were days she suppressed in her mind for so long.

Orihime looked around the court room.

She looked at her husband and her attorney. The people in their seats. The young child sitting behind her.

And across the room was that evil man. His smirk, his hair, his eyes… All a façade to hide the rotten heart he had in his chest.

But she wouldn't let him.

She refused.

She refused to let him take the one thing that mattered to her. The one thing that kept her going all these years.

She wasn't going to let him take Tamotsu…

* * *

Kyōraku leaned back in his chair with his feet, one foot over the other, resting on top of his desk.

He hummed to a familiar tune he heard some time ago, feeling the sun beamed down on him from the open window.

There was a knock on the door and it opened to his favorite person. She walked across the room until she stood next to his desk.

"Ah my sweet, sweet Nanao-chan... You've come to me." He gave her a smile.

Nanao adjusted her oval glasses. "Don't get your hopes up. You have a visitor."

"Tell 'em they can wait." He grabbed her hand and pulled her against him. "I just want a minute with my Nanao-chan."

"Someone has to run this paper." The anal woman yanked her hand out of his'. "If not me, then who?"

Kyōraku clutched his chest in mock pain. "Oh, Nanao-chan! It hurts me when you put me down so!"

Nanao sat up. "Anyway, it's some guy named…" she looked down at her clipboard. "Takashi Igarashi. He claims he has some information that you might want to check out."

Kyōraku grinned. "Well then what are we waiting for? Send the man in!"

Nanao left the room and was back in seconds with a scruffy looking boy.

He was unshaven and looked as if his body's energy was running on a diet of coffee and cigarettes and not to mention to unmistakable smell of spearmint gum. The man shifted from foot to foot in the quietness of the room. "Hi… uh, I'm Takashi."

Kyōraku set his feet on the floor and yawned. "And what do you have for us today, Takashi?"

Takashi opened his bag and placed a pile of pictures on Kyōraku's desk. "I got these."

Nanao picked up a photo and furrowed her brow. "These are photos of Kurosaki Ichigo, correct."

Takashi nodded. "Check out whose he's wit'."

Kyōraku picked up a photo also. "Kuchiki Rukia…?"

Takashi smirked. "Ya see tha ones where they're at a motel. I took it only a month ago." Takashi dug through his bag some more. "I even got recent ones."

Nanao looked down at Kyōraku. "How long do you think this was going on for?"

Kyōraku smirked at a photo. "I don't know, but we better run this story before someone else does."

"Ah-hm!"

Kyōraku and Nanao looked over at Takashi. He was rubbing three of his fingers together with a smile on his face.

"My services ain't free." He slid an approving gaze at Nanao and licked his lips. She mentally gagged at the smell of the minty-cigarette mixture of his breath. "Neither is 'em cheap."

"Ah!" Kyōraku sat back down. "You know… You could have gone to any other paper in this city… why us?"

His thin lips opened to show pointy teeth. "You're where tha big bucks are."

Nanao stepped in. "How much?"

"Sev'n hundred."

She looked surprised. "Seven hundred in all?"

He almost laughed. "Seven hundred fer each photo."

She looked at Kyōraku and he nodded. She turned back to Takashi. "Three hundred."

"Six eighty."

"Four thirty."

"Six fifty."

"Five hundred."

Takashi thought for a moment. The woman drove a hard bargain… "Al'ight. Five hundred fer each photo." He stuck out his hand.

Nanao shook it and so did Kyōraku.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you."

* * *

**I want to say that this chapter was a filler but a few important things happened that will play a part later in the story. But chapter 7 is what you are all waiting for. I promise.  
**

**Oh, and thanks to all of the supportive and kind words, I didn't get around to thanking all of you this week because I was so busy. You guys are the reason I even press the update button on Sundays!  
**

**Rocka.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Hey guys! Sorry I didn't respond but there were a few family related issues that I had to take care of. I was out of town for the week. But I didn't want to leave you all hanging so I still updated!

**Disclaimer: **Life is so unfair!... I still don't own Bleach.

* * *

Orihime finally took a breath.

They did it they did it.

They got sole custody.

The judge's finalized decision came in the mail a few days later though the couple knew they had won. It was a bittersweet moment for Orihime and Ichigo as well. Just remembering how it all went down made her sick to her stomach…

_Throughout the whole battle Orihime couldn't breathe, speak or even understand what was happening between the lawyers._

_And when called to the stand, Orihime remembered to just answer the questions with "Yes", or "No", and only explain herself on if she was asked for clarification._

_"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" The judge asked._

"_I swear." Orihime lowered her right hand._

_Tōsen stood from his chair and walked slowly to the middle of the room. He had taken his orange scarf off but was still wearing the dark shades. "Orihime Kurosaki. That is your name right?"_

_Orihime nodded. "Yes."_

_Tōsen walked back and forth without looking at her. "And your son's name is Tamotsu Kurosaki. Correct?"_

_Orihime nodded again. "Yes."_

"_And who are you married to?"  
_

"_Ichigo Kurosaki."  
_

_"Can you point to him please?"  
_

_Orihime was unsure whether to really point or not but she lifted her finger anyway. Ichigo gave her a tiny smile of encouragement. Tamotsu was sleeping.  
_

"_Do you love your husband?" he asked._

_Osamu's voice came from nowhere. "Objection. Your honor-"_

"_Overruled." The judge was a tired looking man; he eyes were so droopy it seemed as if he was sleeping more than he was paying attention. He looked back down at Tōsen. "Proceed."_

"_Do you love your husband, Mrs. Kurosaki?"_

_Orihime smiled warily. "Yes, I love my husband very much."_

"_Then why did you cheat on him?" He stopped but still didn't look up at her._

_Orihime took a shaky breath. Osamu didn't prepare her for that type of question. "I… I…" She looked at Osamu then back at Tōsen. "…I don't know."_

_Tōsen took a second to let everyone in the room soak her answer in._

"_Mrs. Kurosaki. Do you regret cheating on your husband?"_

_Again, Osamu spoke, but he stood up angrily this time around. "Objection. Your honor, this is blatant harassment."_

_The judged considered. His droopy eyes looked as though they shifted but Orihime couldn't tell from where she was sitting. "… Sustained."_

_Tōsen sucked in a breath. "Were you recently staying with Sousuke Aizen?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Why?"_

"_My kitchen burned down so we needed somewhere to stay the night." Ha! Orihime memorized that one!_

"_Who is this 'we'?"_

"_Me and Tamotsu."_

"_Your son?"_

_Orihime placed her hand on her belly because she could feel one of the cramps coming along. "Yes."  
_

_Tōsen continued to walk. "So you and your son were staying, living with Sousuke Aizen…" He looked up but still not at her. "…for a night?"_

_Orihime shook her head and breathed through the pain as to not alarm anyone. "For about a week..."_

"_About a week?"_

"_Yes, just about." She exhaled and the pain went with it._

"_Hmm…" Tōsen adjusted his shades. "In that time, did Aizen and Tamotsu interact?"  
_

"_Yes."_

"_Would you say a lot?"_

_Orihime shrugged then remembered she shouldn't do that. "A fair amount."_

"_Has Sousuke Aizen ever indicated to you that he wanted his son?"_

"_No."  
_

_He questions came in fast and Orihime hoped that she could keep up. "Hmm… Mrs. Kurosaki." Tōsen pushed the shades up his nose. "Do you think it is fair to cut Aizen out of his son's life?"_

_Orihime was taken aback. "Tamotsu already has a father."_

_There was an air to Tōsen that changed then. "But not his biological father."_

_Orihime's attitude wasn't getting any better either. "Tamotsu doesn't need two fathers. He's managed just fine with one."_

"_But not the real one."  
_

"_Ichigo is just as real as he is." She was trying her hardest not to raise her voice._

_Tōsen shook his head. "Who is this he?"_

"_Sousuke!"_

_He finally looked at her face and she could tell that there was something dark and sinister about him, it was in his eyes and Orihime could tell even from under his shades. "Mrs. Kurosaki. I'm not asking you to get upset. I just want everyone to understand the right and the wrong." He turned to the side and walked again. "I'll ask again. Do you think it is fair to cut Aizen out of his son's life?"_

_Orihime closed her eyes. She had been over the question a thousand times in her head. She honestly didn't know if it was right, but it was wrong of him to do this to her, to her family. To Tamotsu. _

"_Yes."_

_Tōsen took off his shades, breathed on them, and rubbed the corner of his shirt on each lenses and placed them back on. "No more questions your honor."_

Osamu asked her a few questions too. He asked her if Tamotsu has a good relationship with her. She answered of course. He asked her if she could provide for him. She said that once she gets back on her feet she could, and Ichigo supported them just fine. He asked her… well he asked her a lot of things... Things that she knew that answer to, to show that she was the best parent for Tamotsu.

Then they called Ichigo to the stand, which didn't last long because Ichigo was very stubborn and was hard to question. Then they had Osamu call Aizen to the stand to question him.

_"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"_

_Aizen lifted his right hand before sitting at the stand. "I affirm."_

_Osamu came around the table. He walked to the stand Aizen was sitting on and smiled up at him. "Hello Aizen, how are you doing today?"_

_Aizen didn't break the gaze. "I'm doing well, thank you."_

_Then came the most heartbreakingly obvious question of them all. "Is it true that you had sexual relations with Orihime Kurosaki?"_

_He smirked. "Yes. Yes it is."_

_Orihime shook her head. She didn't mean to blurt it out but it was like a word vomit. "It was one sexual relation. Just once."_

_The judge raised his head in attention. "Mrs. Kurosaki. Please do not interrupt."_

_Orihime suddenly felt Ichigo's hand rub against her shoulder. "Orihime, its fine…"_

_She shook her head in stubborn denial. "We only did it once…"_

_Osamu continued. "And from that sexual encounter, Tamotsu was conceived."_

_Aizen seemed to look at something in the distance and his smile spread wider. "Yes."_

"_So you are Tamotsu's biological father?" Osamu asked, bringing him back to the present._

"_That's what it states on the paternity test certificate."_

_Osamu unfastened the remaining button on his jacket and slid his hands in his pockets. "How long have you been active in Tamotsu's life?"_

"_Since two months ago."_

"…_Wait." Osamu gave him a look as if he didn't comprehend. "…But Tamotsu is four…"_

"_Yes" Aizen folded his hands. "He is."  
_

"_What reason would you want a four year old for?"_

"_Simple." Aizen locked eyes with Orihime and she looked down at her hands on the table. "He's my son," she heard him say._

_Osamu turned and smiled at the people in their seats. "You honor, people of the courtroom, Mrs. Kurosaki is a woman with a stable home, job, husband and son. She has a family." _

_Osamu pointed at Aizen who sat across the room. "And for a man like Sosuke Aizen to just barge in and try to take that all from her is ridiculous. Will you all watch that happen as her son is ripped away from her?"_

"'_A man like Sousuke Aizen'? Are implying that my client is a bad man?" Tōsen's voice deepened. "He has a business and a blossoming one at that. He can financially and medically provide for his son. He has never done one wrong deed on this Earth. Not one strike on his records. On the other hand, the Kurosaki family has a huge target on their backs."_

_Osamu scoffed. "The Kurosaki family is a family. In what way do they have a target?"_

_Tōsen pulled a paper from his open briefcase. He lifted it up for the whole room to see. "Was Ichigo Kurosaki just hospitalized after a mugging and shoot-out?"  
_

"_Yes, well-"_

"_He has multiple bullet wounds between his fourth and fifth true ribs and one on his upper shoulder. Please, Osamu, tell me what if Tamotsu was out with him- On second thought, don't."_

"_Your honor, it still doesn't explain why the Kurosaki family is a target."_

_Tōsen went on. "Then what about when half of the Kurosaki household was crumbling down in flames? I don't even want to think about what would have happened if Tamotsu was in there."_

"_That is also true, but-"_

"_And was the bakery, BabyCakes, owned by the mother, Orihime Kurosaki, not robbed and destroyed?"_

"_All of it is true! But it was all coincidence! How, in a matter of weeks, do these random acts happen? It's not heard of. It was either organized by God knows who, or by accidental timing."_

_Tōsen banged his fist on the desk. "You cannot justify those accidents with the mere statements of sheer coincidence! I believe in the truth and the facts!"_

_The judge knocked on his gavel down twice. "Order, please, conduct yourselves as men." The room quieted down but the atmosphere still stung with keenness. "I feel like we are getting off track here." He rested his head on his hand. "What about Tamotsu? We only want what is in his best interest. That is why we are all here."_

_Osamu walked towards the judge. "As I was saying before, young Tamotsu has never met this man until six weeks ago. And even then he didn't know who the man was. He has a father and a younger sibling on the way." Osamu turned towards the people. "Why take everything from this four year old boy?" Osamu frowned and removed his glasses. "It's inhumane to take this child from his family… The only thing he knows..." Osamu looked around the room for good measure. "I rest my case."_

_It went on like that for another hour until the judge finally decided to give Tamotsu to his rightful guardian._

_It was such a stressful process that Tamotsu fell asleep in Ichigo's lap thirty minutes in._

_At the end of it all, when the people were piling out, Aizen walked over to the couple and shook their hands._

_Orihime turned away from him. She couldn't look at that sickening man._

_Aizen looked down at the sleeping Tamotsu. "I hope you'll take good care of him."_

_Orihime exhaled hotly. She removed her hand from him warm palm without a word and placed Tamotsu on her hip and waited for Ichigo by the door._

_While Ichigo and Aizen clasped hands, Aizen leaned down and whispered to him. "This is not over yet."_

_Ichigo's scowl went deeper. "What do you mean?"  
_

"_This, all of it… is only the beginning…"_

* * *

**One week later.**

* * *

Orihime sat up in excitement. "Ichigo! I think I can feel it! I feel something!"

Ichigo slid into the bed and touch her belly bump. "Is it kicking?"

"I think-" A fainted rumbling sound echoed in Orihime's stomach. "No," her body deflated. "I'm just hungry." Orihime had the feeling many times before, she was just waiting for the first real kick.

"I don't think any take-out is still open."

Because Chad was still working on the kitchen, the family had to buy small portions of food or take-out which was completely deceiving the first time because Orihime could have swore that the Chinese food carton was full of noodles instead of steamed broccoli. "I can run down to the 24-hour store for you if it is still hungry."

"No, I'll be fine…" Orihime pulled the blanket up and paused. "But, Ichigo… could we stop calling the baby 'It'. That just sounds so cold."

The man smiled. "Sure, we can call it- I mean the baby anything you want." Ichigo scooted under the covers and turned off the light resting on his nightstand.

Orihime moved under the covers too. "Ichigo… I meant to talk to you about that…"

"About what?" He turned to look at her. He could make out her lips and rounded nose in the dark.

Orihime turned and looked back at him. "I want to know the gender."

"Of the baby?"

Orihime nodded he ears strained in the dark until they adjusted to the dim lighting. "It would be easier for everyone! I would know what to buy, what colors to get. And we have that appointment next week after we postponed it for the twentieth time."

"That reminds me." He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her as close as he could with the exception of her tiny baby bump. "I'll give up my office for the baby room."

Orihime grinned. "Really?!"

It was Ichigo's turn to nod. "I told you we would get over this bump in the road."

The woman snuggled closer. "Yeah, we are doing well, aren't we?"

Later that night, Ichigo felt something poke at him repeatedly.

He pushed it away with his hand and rolled over.

The culprit wouldn't give up and he continued to poke and push.

Ichigo mumbled incoherently and the child furrowed his brow in a mixture of confusion and frustration.

"Daddy… daddy…" Tamotsu shook his father's shoulder. "…Daddy…"

Ichigo groaned and muttered: "What is it, Tamotsu?"

"…Daddy, I had a bad dream…"

Ichigo slowly rolled back over and turned on his lamp. Tamotsu stared up at his father unhappily.

The man wiped his hand down his face. "What's wrong champ?" Ichigo asked.

Tamotsu's wide brown eyes blinked twice. His hair flopped down in dark brown clumps. "I had a bad dream…"

Ichigo yawned and glanced at his alarm. It was near three.

After a few deeps breaths, Ichigo realized that he had to move the party elsewhere because Orihime and the baby had to get their much needed rest.

Ichigo walked his son back to his room. The walls were still a faded orangey-tangerine and he now had a miniature bed with green and orange pillows. Ichigo hated the color scheme, but Orihime loved it so the subject was never discussed... and he never objected.

Whatever made her happy made him happy.

Tamotsu climbed into his bed and so did Ichigo. They stayed up, staring at the ceiling and talking. Talking about what foods they liked and how pretty Mommy was. They talked about his bad dreams.

"When I close my eyes, like mommy tells me to, and I go to sleep, I have the same dream…"

Ichigo let Tamotsu play with his hand. The child traced the deep lines and ridges in his large palm and smiled. "What happens in your dream?"

"Well… I go to sleep and then I wake up and… and I'm in a big bed, but it's just not mine…"

"Huh…" Ichigo considered. "Whose bed are you in?"

Tamotsu shrugged and pressed down on each of Ichigo's fingers. "I know I was there before… but I vaguely remember…"

Ichigo was impressed at his son's use of words. "What else happens?"

"This man comes in the room… I call him Mister. He pulls the blanket up like this, see." Tamotsu put his feet under the covers and pulled the blanket up to his chin. "Just like that. See daddy?"

Ichigo nodded.

"Then he kisses me on the forehead. Right here." He pointed at his skull. "Right where mommy kisses me. Then he says 'Goodnight Tamotsu,' just like that. Then he walks out of the room."

Ichigo furrowed his brow. "Why is that a bad dream?"

"Because…" Tamotsu slowly frowned and his eyes began to feel prickly with tears. "…because no matter how hard I scream for Mister… he never comes back…"

**…**

"Wow…" Orihime looked around the kitchen. She smoothed her hand over the cool marble countertop. She opened the cherry-chocolate colored cabinets and closed it over and over again, amazed by how smoothly the door moved back and forth.

She could just imagine herself cooking up a storm.

Mixing in the new bowls she'll buy and using the new equipment she just ordered… Twirling around like Betty Crocker in a plaid dress while Ichigo sits at the table with a newspaper saying: "Breakfast smells delicious honey!"

Then she would say: "Of course it does! I made it just for you!"

And Tamotsu would be sitting like the gentlemen he is and he'll mock Ichigo just like he does. "Mommy, breakfast smells delicious!"

Then-

"Orihime?"

The woman blinked a few times. "H-huh?"

Orihime turned around and saw Chad and Tamotsu staring at her.

She chuckled. "I'm sorry! It's just that it looks amazing in here. Just wonderful!"

The sides of Chad's lips inched up. "I tried."

"Nonsense, this is fabulous. I can't believe you managed to turn the heap of burnt mess into a cook-able work space." She pointed at the door to the laundry room. "The back room looks great too. All we need is that new washer and dryer to come in."

Chad tipped his hat. "Anything for you and Ichigo. I'm finally repaying him for that dispute I had with my inheritance."

"Oh yeah, the necklace. Ichigo did help you with that." Orihime smiled and made a giddy sound from the pit of her stomach. "Either way, I'm sure he would have done it without the repayment." Orihime sighed and looked around the room again. "The décor is amazing."

"A friend helped me on that end."

"Tell them I said thanks." Orihime smiled at the rest of the room. "I always wanted an island!"

"I wasn't exactly sure about this. Ichigo suggested it. I'm not big on marble and children." The duo looked at Tamotsu who was completely oblivious to the conversation. "They don't mix well together."

Orihime nodded in understanding. "I'll keep Tamotsu away. And our little bun here."

Chad picked up his toolbox. "How far along are you now?"

"Oh, just about eighteen weeks. Everything is going A-okay. I have an appointment in a few days and Ichigo and I decided that we want to know the gender!"

Chad smiled, or at least the sides of his mouth lifted a little.

"Do want to come with us to lunch?"

Chad shook his head. "I'm not hungry."

Orihime tugged on the arm of the tall man. "Aw, come on! Please!"

"I have somewhere to be." He grumbled and averted his eyes.

She looked at him tanned face… was he… was he blushing? Orihime gasped. "It's a girl! It's a girl isn't it?!"

His face became redder and Tamotsu wondered if he could make his face look like that.

"Do I know her? Who is she?" Orihime bounced in place, unable to keep still with such a secret.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Just a friend..."

Knowing Chad, Orihime knew that that was all she was going to get out of him.

The woman sighed in defeat. "Well I hope you and this 'friend' has a nice lunch." Orihime took Tamotsu's hand and walked out.

**…**

Ichigo looked down at his phone and cursed Kyōraku to every kind of hell. His phone rang and he answered.

"Kuro-"

"I know. I saw."

"We can't cover this!" Ishida shouted into the phone. He immediately reeled himself back. "This is out and in one of the biggest papers, one of our enemies. We don't have the means to take this back from the public. Seireitei Communication's reach is too wide and far. The press is eating this shit up." Ichigo heard his friend inhale. "Kurosaki, you really fucked us over."

Ichigo took a deep breath and looked out of the car's window. "We have to talk about this later."

"What can possibly be more important than this right n-?"

Ichigo clicked end and pushed the phone in his back pocket. He would deal with Ishida later.

The man parked and got out of the car. He walked down the street and came to a restaurant.

He told the host his reservations and was quickly seated in a corner booth.

Orihime and Tamotsu came in soon after.

"Hey." Ichigo stood wrapped her arms around her waist. He bent his neck down and kissed her deeply.

When they broke apart Orihime gasped for air and smiled up at him uneasily. "What has you in such a state?!"

The man smiled down at his wife. "…Nothing." His hand remained around her waist and he squeezed her side. "I just love you too much to keep it all in."

Orihime gave him a funny look but sat down anyway.

Ichigo ordered pasta, Orihime ordered two sandwiches, and Tamotsu got chicken fingers and fries from the kids' menu.

The child munched on a fry dipped in honey mustard and grinned at his father. "Daddy, I painted a popsicle model of a house today!"

Ichigo grinned back. "Oh, really? What color?"

"I painted the house red and the grass green and the windows white… Um…" Tamotsu picked up another fry and chewed on a chicken finger in his other hand. "I painted the roof blue!"

Ichigo's phone vibrated in his pocket but he didn't pick it up. Orihime stopped chewing and waited for him to pick it up but he didn't. "A blue and red house, huh. When it's all dry, bring it home so I can see it."

It continued vibrating in the song rung in his wife's ears.

"Yes!" Tamotsu shoved another fry in his mouth and Orihime told him to slow down in an irritated voice. He apologized for his manners but went on with his story. "And, daddy, you know what else we did?"

Ichigo's phone vibrated again and the table went quiet.

Orihime sighed heavily. "Ichigo…"

The man pushed a noodle over on his plate. "Ignore it."

It vibrated again.

"Answer it, please." Orihime willed him with her eyes.

Ichigo wiped his lips with a napkin and answered his phone. He stood and walked away from their table.

Orihime took a breath. There was an odd tension in the air with him and she didn't want him to have to force a conversation with them.

Tamotsu pushed a chicken finger over the table until it nudged Orihime on the hand. "You can have one, Mommy!"

"Thank you!" Orihime took a bite out of the crispy meat.

"We have to go, now." Orihime looked up at Ichigo who suddenly appeared over her. He was texting quickly on his phone.

"But we just got here!" she whined. "Do you have to go?" Orihime took a napkin and wiped the corners of Tamotsu's honey mustard covered mouth. "Is it a new client?"

"Something like that…" Ichigo flipped open his wallet and placed the money down on the table. "I called a car. It should be waiting outside for you."

Orihime pulled Tamotsu out of the booth. "You aren't coming?"

Ichigo looked up from his phone. "No. I have to go back to office. But whatever you hear, do not jump to conclusions until I explain it to you."

"What conclusions? -Ichigo!" Ichigo held her forearm and ushered her out of the restaurant while holding Tamotsu by the hand.

As he said, a silver company car was awaiting outside for them. He told the driver to send them straight home.

"Don't watch the news until I get there." He instructed her.

"But why…?"

"Don't leave the house either." Ichigo looked down at his phone once more. "I have to go." He kissed her over the window then walked off around the corner to his own car.

The company car drove away.

* * *

**One day later.**

* * *

"I don't understand why we have to go shopping now. We've managed fine without a bunch of groceries…"

"Ichigo, the kitchen is finished so we need some food to go inside of it." After the mini fiasco at the restaurant yesterday, Ichigo was acting completely strange. He made her unplug the phones and close the curtains.

He was about to unplug the television, but Orihime had to promise that she wouldn't watch the news or any recent news or entertainment shows. "Besides, I don't trust others to cook food for me and my baby, especially if it's from a take-out menu."

They walked down a few aisles, placing things they needed and didn't need cart where Tamotsu was napping.

"This is a lifesaver!" Orihime picked up a box of heating pads for the back. "I used these sometimes when I was with Tamotsu." She placed them in the shopping cart.

"Do you think it'll be painful this time around?" Ichigo added a bottle of her favorite scented lotion to the cart, careful not to drop it on the sleeping Tamotsu who was way past his nap time.

"I'd rather not think about that." Orihime smiled up at him. "But I can't wait anymore. I want to meet him… or her so bad."

"Once we find out the gender we can start narrowing down names."

"Right! We haven't decided on those yet." Orihime turned down another aisle hoping that Ichigo didn't see the sign.

"If it's a girl, I was thinking along the lines of Ai or Azami."

Orihime wrinkled her nose.

Ichigo frowned. "You don't like those?"

"I want the name to come to me, just like Tamotsu. I want to feel it like… Oreos!" Orihime reached for the beautiful blue and white box but Ichigo grabbed her wrist.

He shook his head. "You can't have those. Orihime, you know better."

Her lip poked out and her voice became a whine. "I deserve a tiny snack!"

Ichigo's phone vibrated and he walked a few feet away. Orihime could hear a few muffled swears.

She placed the box of Oreos in the cart and Tamotsu rubbed his heavy eye lids. He looked around wondering how he got inside of a shopping cart, and more importantly, why a box of Oreos was on his lap.

Ichigo clicked his phone off and walked back over to the cart.

"What was all that about?" Orihime asked.

"Some things were leaked to the press… Are we done here? We need to leave." Ichigo took control of the cart and pushed it all the way down the aisle. Orihime tried hard to keep up.

"Is… Is all of this about the custody case?"

"What? No." Ichigo turned a sharp corner to the checkout line.

"Is this about what he said to you?"

"Who?"

Orihime huffed at his ignorance. "What did Aizen say to you?" It was on her mind for a while now, but she didn't say anything because she hoped that if the issue didn't arise, it would leave from her mind. But Orihime was never one to just drop a subject that was throbbing at her head.

Ichigo placed the groceries onto the conveyer belt. "Huh?"

"What did he say before we left the courthouse?!"

"He…" Ichigo looked down at Tamotsu and picked up a box of oatmeal from the cart. "He told me that… I better be a good father."

"He has no right." Orihime rubbed her hand on his bicep. "You are an amazing father."

Ichigo stopped stacking the food and looked at his wife. "….really?"

She stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. "The best!"

Ichigo lifted his son out of the cart and placed him on the ground. His wife took Tamotsu and Ichigo grabbed the groceries.

Orihime walked out of the store, and suddenly, a large flash blinded her.

"How long did you know about Ichigo and Rukia's affair?" A woman and a man with a flashing camera shoved against her.

Orihime was stunned and blinked at another flash. "…Wha-What?!"

"Mommy!" Tamotsu clutched her shirt and wrapped his legs around her torso tighter.

Someone from behind with a camera shouted at her. "What relationship do you have with Rukia Kuchiki?"

"If this issue arose beforehand, do you think it would have had an effect on the court's decision?"

"Did you know that he was privately funding her with housing and clothing?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Orihime held Tamotsu close. Where was Ichigo?

"Are you and your husband divorcing? And if not now, later?"

"Will your husband's infidelity affect the previous custody battle?" More flashes. More lights. More questions.

Someone grabbed Orihime's free hand and pulled her out of the mob. Ichigo pushed them both into a car shouted at the driver to pull out.

* * *

**The last scene was actually longer (In fact, this whole chapter was longer than I expected), but I had to cut it short because so it could start off the next chapter.**

**Rocka.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Feeling much better this week, thank God! Guys, it really pays off to take a few days for yourself! Remember, **you** comes first!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach, for the hundredth time!

* * *

She didn't know where it came from. But when it came, Orihime gritted her teeth and breathed deeply through the pain. And as quickly it came, it was gone and she exhaled.

"Ichigo…" Orihime's heart jumped through her chest, the car was driving down the busy street, Tamotsu was crying uncontrollably.

"Give me a second, Orihime." He texted on his phone quickly, pressing down on the keys with extreme pressure.

Orihime placed Tamotsu on her lap and rubbed his back soothingly. "Ichigo…"

"Just… just let me think!" he shouted and lifted the phone to his ear. Orihime covered Tamotsu's ears with her hands as Ichigo began to curse into the phone.

The harsh words rung in her ears after he chewed and spat out the person receiving the message. "…Ichigo! Please stop!" She finally yelled.

The man finally looked up from his phone and at his wife.

Orihime shook her head and pushed back the salty tears that teased the rim of her eyes. "How could you…" she whispered.

He shifted in his seat to face her. "We weren't doing anything… It's not what you think, it was strictly business…" Orihime looked out the window and continued to rub Tamotsu's back. Ichigo huffed and texted someone back on his phone. "…I'm taking you to Isshin's. I can't have them crowding you at our house."

Orihime wiped the tears off of the bottom of Tamotsu's chin. "It's going to be alright, Monkey."

Tamotsu clung to her shirt and looked up at her. "Those were bad men mommy."

"I know…"

It took them an hour of silence before the driver arrived at Ichigo's old home. The same green roof, trimmed bushes, and old, blue Kurosaki Clinic sign.

Isshin greeted them at the door.

"Orihime! My sweet!" Isshin looked down at her belly. "Your tummy is getting bigger!"

Ichigo carried in a sleeping Tamotsu and placed him in the couch. "Dad, this isn't a social visit."

Isshin stared at his frantic son as he tapped on his phone. "What kind of visit is this then…"

"They need to stay awhile."

"They…?" Orihime walk up to Ichigo. "You aren't staying…?"

"I need to sort this all out." He kissed her forehead and glanced back down at his phone. "When I get back, I'll explain it all to you."

Orihime stared up at him. "You… you can't keep doing this to us."

She just couldn't stand the secrets and the lies anymore…

He finally looked up from his phone as if he heard her thoughts. "I didn't cheat, Orihime. Yes, I was funding her and everything else… But I didn't sleep with her…" Ichigo could just see it in her eyes that she didn't believe him, but he needed to get back at the office. "I have to go."

He walked past her and opened the front door.

"Ichigo… wait."

He turned around.

_"Orihime. When I first met you, I knew I wanted to protect you._

Orihime lifted her hand and twisted off her engagement ring and placed it on the coffee table beside her, the wedding band soon followed.

_I knew that I wanted to keep you safe and to love you…."_

Ichigo's eyes followed her every move. "What are you doing…?"

"_I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, no matter what."_

She took a deep breath. "Until you get your act together… I can't wear this…"

Ichigo walked back up to her and grabbed her hand. "But-"

Orihime pushed the rings into his palm. "I suggest you leave now…"

"_Your beauty, heart, and mind inspire me to be the best person I can be."_

"I can't leave when you…" He shoved his hand at her. "Here put them back on!"

Orihime shook her head and he soon came to realize that she was serious.

"_I promise to love you for eternity,"_

The man looked down at the gold bands in his hands. "I'll make it up to you… I promise."

"_Respecting you, honoring you,"_

Orihime took a another deep breath and looked at the floor, away from his face. "Goodbye Ichigo."

"Orihime..." His phone rang again. "I have to go, but when I come back, I'll make all of this up to you."

"_Being faithful to you, and sharing my life with you."_

He closed the door behind him.

"_This is my solemn vow."_

* * *

**One week later.**

* * *

Tamotsu didn't want to disturb her. He just watched.

...She was crying again… she did that a lot lately.

...She never left the room. And if she did, it was only to go potty or to get more tissues.

And no one answered the phone anymore. Tamotsu wondered why… Every time the phone would ring, no one would pick it up. Tamotsu tried to once, but grandpa stopped him before his hand even hit the base.

He hated seeing his mommy cry. And when he was alone, he would hug Kon and cry for him too. Just like the way mommy was crying for him now.

The child felt a shadow hover over him.

"…It would be best if you didn't bother her at the moment, Tamotsu." Isshin suddenly stood next to him closely. He had his hands in his pockets and he was looking at his mother through the door. The child could tell he was serious by the tone of his voice.

Tamotsu looked on. She had her back turned and she was rubbing her stomach, whispering to it… Maybe she had a stomach ache? Mommy always kissed his stomach when he had a belly ache.

"The baby is giving her complications." Isshin looked down at him. "Do you understand?"

There goes that word _baby_ again. And what does com… complakshins mean?

Tamotsu nodded slowly. He wasn't exactly sure.

"Good. Now, would you like to go to the clinic with me?"

Tamotsu smiled. He knew what the word 'clinic' meant. It was where grandpa went to work. It was fun there. It was cold and you weren't allowed to touch everything… but it was still fun.

He took the old man's hand and followed him out the door.

**…**

Orihime's eyes felt sore from the numerous wipes and rubs. She didn't dare look at herself in the mirror for she knew that it would bring nothing but embarrassment and shame.

She had cried her tears and wallowed in it. And now it was time to get up, dust off, and keep it moving.

… But does she want to keep moving without Ichigo?

Orihime shook her head and walked down the stairs.

"…Tamotsu! …Isshin!" Orihime shouted for the two but it seemed like they weren't in.

She shrugged her shoulders. Wherever they were, they weren't far.

And now… now Orihime was starving. She didn't want to eat at all during her wallowing. She felt bad because she had two people, or bellies to think about, not just her own.

Orihime slowly hummed and rubbed her stomach while she searched through the refrigerator. She found a small bag of M&Ms and poured them in a bowl. She was in the mood for chocolate.

Then the phone rang.

Orihime closed the refrigerator door and walked to the phone.

All week… all week he had been calling. Orihime picked up the phone and exhaled. "Please, Ichigo. Stop calling, I just-"

"This isn't Ichigo!" An all too familiar voice shouted.

"Tatsuki?"

"No, Orihime. It's the Easter bunny."

Orihime wrinkled her nose at her choice of words. "You don't have to be so snippy with me."

Tatsuki was in the supermarket, venting out her frustrations on the merchandise. "Of course I'm snippy. I've tried every phone number to try to get to you. Ichigo isn't picking up. You weren't picking up at the house. I was told that BabyCakes wasn't operating anymore-"

Orihime flinched. "I actually meant to tell you about that…" How could she have forgotten to tell her best friend…? Oh yeah, because she was preoccupied with everything else under the sun.

"It's all his fault isn't it? I'll kill him! I'll, I'll-"

"Tatsuki, we just have to wait it out…" Orihime closed her eyes patiently as her best friend yelled into the phone.

"There's no waiting this out! He betrayed you, again!" Orihime could hear her heavy stomps in the background. "I'm coming down there."

"Tatsuki, there really isn't any need." Orihime crossed Isshin's living room and sat on the couch. She held her ever growing belly and groaned.

"I want to bust his ass face to face, not over a phone." Tatsuki slammed a can of beans into her cart and a woman on the other side of the aisle gave her a funny look. "Orihime, I don't know how you do this!"

"Tatsuki…"

"I know, I know. No more cursing. But I can't help it! Why do I have to hear about this in a slimy magazine that only talks about the drama going on in celebrities' lives?" Tatsuki stuck her tongue out at the woman when her back was turned.

"Tatsuki…" Orihime groaned again. Being nineteen weeks was really taking a toll on her.

"How can he constantly screw up like this?!"

Orihime reached for the tiny bowl of M&Ms she placed on the coffee table. She set the bowl on her rounding belly and popped a red one in her mouth. "We all just need to take a break." She rubbed her tongue over the chocolate covered teeth to be sure she got every bit.

"A break? A divorce is more like it."

Orihime touched the finger on her left hand where her rings used to be.

After a moment of complete silence she responded. "I am not divorcing Ichigo."

"Think about it, Orihime. How many times, how many years did he cheat?"

Orihime chewed the inside of her cheek. She really didn't want to talk about any of this. "...He cheated for about three..."

"And how old is Tamotsu?"

"He's four…"

"So do you really think that out of the seven years you've been together that he had ever broken it off? Remember that I saw them together the day that he supposedly said that he broke up with her. I remember that kiss. He didn't look so heartbroken."

Orihime could just imagine the disapproving look on her stern face.

"Tatsuki… I don't know if I should take this advice…" Orihime pulled her hair behind her. "I just need some time to think."

"Okay, but if you need me, I'm just a phone call away. Are you sure you don't want me to come down?"

Orihime caressed her belly again. "I'm sure…" She slid a few more chocolate covered candies in her mouth.

"Before I go, how's the baby?" Tatsuki piled all of her items onto the conveyor belt at the check-out line and realized that she didn't get anything that she wanted. "Canned chicken…?" she whispered to herself in confusion.

"The baby is… fine. The baby is fine. The baby finally kicked the other day."

"I thought you found out the sex? What about names?"

Orihime smiled, but it as weak, just like the rest of her. "The baby doesn't have a name yet."

Tatsuki was silent for a moment. "…Orihime, that rat-bastard doesn't deserve you."

Orihime shifted the phone to the other ear and sighed. "Tatsuki, I have to go."

"Alright, take care. But remember, I'm always a phone call away."

"Take care."

* * *

**A few days later.**

* * *

Tamotsu looked up from his book and watched the peculiar grownups.

"I'll be monitoring your intake because I notice you haven't been eating as much protein." Isshin lifted his brow. "But I noticed that my stash of chocolate is all gone."

They were in one of Isshin's clinic rooms and he had been giving her daily checkups ever since they came.

"Oh…" Orihime blushed. "You noticed."

Tamotsu flipped the page in his book. Apparently, if you gave a mouse a cookie, he would want a glass of milk to go with it… Tamotsu considered the ludicrous notion. A mouse doesn't eat cookies or drink milk, he thought. And even if he did, he wouldn't want a straw or a napkin to go with it…

"It's my job to notice." Isshin sighed. "I don't want you getting sick. And I know that there's a lot of outside stress happening at the moment. But I don't want your bad choices today to affect what happens to my grandchild tomorrow."

The child's ear shot up. Sick…? Did he say that mommy was sick…? Tamotsu shook his head. Mommy wasn't sick…

Orihime nodded and watched Isshin finish washing his hands. "I understand."

Her father-in-law looked down at his clipboard. "Are you having any unusual pains?"

Orihime chewed on her bottom lip. "Describe unusual…"

"Are feeling pain in the abdominal area? Are you having back pains?"

Orihime thought quickly about the brief cramps she's been having. They came and left really fast so it didn't seem like a problem. "Um… the occasional back pain…"

Isshin lifted a brow. "That all?" he asked.

Orihime nodded.

"So… Do you want to know?" Isshin walked over and sat down next to her on the cool, white bed.

"Do I want to know what?"

Maybe he should find a mouse, give him a cookie, and see if the rodent would ask him for milk…. Maybe that mouse could make his mommy feel better again. Or better yet, The child would give his mommy a cookie himself! Tamotsu nodded. Yes, that was the plan!

"The gender of the baby."

Orihime froze. She originally planned to find out the gender with Ichigo, but it seemed that lately all their plans have been shot to hell.

"Do you want to know?"

Tamotsu closed his book, now completely uninterested. Maybe… maybe it was the 'baby'. Maybe it was the 'baby' making her sick…

Isshin took her hand and smiled. "Orihime… you're having a girl."

* * *

**A day later.**

* * *

Takashi was doe-eyed and scared as he looked around the large, spacious room.

Aizen smiled warmly. "Good evening Takashi. Have a seat please."

Gin was standing beside the man, smiling and watching the boy stumble into his seat.

Takashi sat in the one chair facing Aizen's desk. It was pretty comfortable so he relaxed a little.

Aizen took joy in the look on the young man's content expression. "How have you been, my friend?"

Suddenly, a woman with dark, purplish hair in pigtails, and a short with dress, walked before him with a tray. It had two glasses and a bottle of champagne. "…Well, now that ya mentioned it, I'm do'n great. Liv'n it up, ya know."

Aizen inclined in his grand chair and watched his receptionist, Cirucci, pour the champagne into the glasses. "You have the money now to do so, I hope."

There was silence in the room with the exception of Cirucci's heels clicking out of the door with the tray in her hand.

Takashi gulped. "…Yeah. I've been tak'n other jobs on tha side 'n all… Sir." He didn't know why he added the last part, but it seemed appropriate.

"Taking the initiative." Aizen stood and smiled. "Good man." He walked around the large desk and handed Takashi one of the glasses.

Takashi didn't look at the commanding man as he guzzled the champagne down. It was bubbly and Takashi almost snorted the liquid out of his nose from the bitterness.

"Takashi, I called you here on business… We still have a deal."

Takashi leaned forward and placed the empty glass on the desk. "Yeah… uh, yeah. We do." He was beginning to break a sweat.

"You sold those pictures?" his chocolate voice purred.

Gin grew goose bumps in anticipation.

"Well, uh, yeah." Takashi's eyes darted around the room, all the while avoiding Aizen's intense gaze. "Ya weren't go'n ta pay me. I took matters inta my own hands…" The man scratched his suddenly itchy nose. "Tak'n the a-an-initiative, just like ya said."

Aizen took his time going back to his chair which was all the time in the world. "I hired you. I wanted you to get those pictures for me."

"Yeah but… I want money."

Aizen pressed a button on his desk. Then he opened a drawer in his desk. "Fine." When his hand emerged from out of the desk, it held two wads of stacks bills. "Here's your money."

He tossed the money and it landed in front of Takashi. The money was crisp and clean. Fresh and green, just how he liked it.

Takashi reached out to grab it but Aizen said "Uh-uh." Aizen frowned. "You can have that money… and more but only if you get me my pictures back."

Takashi's hand was in mid-pause, hovering over the money. "I-I… I don't think I can, sir."

Aizen knitted his fingers together and rested his chin against them. "How many pictures were there again?"

Sweat began to gather around his forehead in tiny droplets. "I…I never said, sir."

His thick lashes dropped dangerously low that all you could see was the chocolaty sheen that his glistening eyes produced. "Well enlighten me anyway."

Takashi gulped. "Well… 'bout fifteen… eighteen, sir…" His lip trembled and he finally felt the sweat reach his neck and roll down his back where the cool air from the room hit him and gave off a cold burn.

Gin couldn't stop the smile from spreading on his pale face.

Aizen's eyes lit up. "Perfect…" The word hummed in the deep vibration of his voice. "We're going to play a little game… For every photo sold… We'll dismember one of your fingers." Takashi's eyes grew large. "And when you have no more of those, we'll continue to your toes… Then, well, what other limbs cold we possibly get rid of?"

Without warning, two men stood behind Takashi's chair. "No… no!" He finally screamed after coming to grips with what was going to happen to him. Desperately and foolishly, Takashi jumped up from his chair and tried for the large white door, the only logical exit from the room, but was immediately caught by the two brawny mean. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to sell the photos! I just! I-"

Aizen swiveled in his chair and faced the ceiling to floor, glass windows. "On second thought" From Takashi's view, you could only see the man's hand fly up in a standstill gesture. "…That would be too cruel."

Takashi exhaled. "Thank y-"

"Kill him."

Takashi shook his head in disbelief. "N-no!" He looked at the silver haired man in the corner. "Please!"

Aizen continued to stare out the window, a smile playing on his smooth lips.

The sounds of Takashi's screams ceased as the doors closed behind him.

Gin took a step or two forward. "Pretty ruthless there Aizen-sama…"

Aizen inhaled. "I was going to sell them anyway. He simply took the joy out of my plan." He sighed. "It can't be helped."

Gin gave him a sideways glance and frowned. "Were you going to kill him anyway too?"

Aizen smirk.

Gin clucked his teeth and shook his head. "You're one bad, bad boy…"

**…**

Tamotsu peeked into the room and stared at the pregnant woman.

…She was only awake a second ago… but Tamotsu knew. Tamotsu knew it was that thing they called a 'baby' that was destroying everything around him.

The child walked over to the sleeping woman and continued to stare.

Orihime groaned and pushed her arm up her belly more.

It was bigger than Tamotsu remembered…. Not too big but big enough to notice a difference.

He could see what his mother called a belly button straining against the shirt.

The boy cocked his head to the side in wonder.

He remembered when daddy would touch her belly. Sometimes before he left for work he would get down on his knees and kiss her belly repeatedly. He'd speak to it like her belly could hear him.

Tamotsu saw the opportunity to reach out and touch the thing that was making everyone act differently.

"…Baby… Can you hear me?" Tamotsu stepped closer and his hand slid down her stomach. "If you can, then I have so much to tell you…"

The boy gasped and stumbled back when he felt a jolt. Something was inside of his mommy!

Is that why everyone was touching her belly?

Tamotsu walked forward, and this time, placed both hands on her belly.

"Baby? Did you know? Did you know that you were hurting mommy?" Tamotsu's bottom lip wobbled. "Did you know that she was sick? And you are making it worse?"

Tears fell down his soft cheeks and plopped onto the carpeted floor. "I want to keep mommy safe. I want to protect her! But how can I protect the both of you? How can I protect you when you make her sick?"

Tamotsu's small hands grabbed wards of her shirt and fisted around it. "Why do you do this? Why are you doing this to mommy? I love her. And she loves you… Why do you do this?"

Orihime opened her eyes and sat up quickly. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him gingerly, but enough to let him know that she was upset. "Tamotsu! What are you doing?" She finally took in his tear stained face and the horrified look in his eyes. "…Monkey, what's wrong?"

Tamotsu rubbed at his eyes but he still continued to cry. "I love you mommy! I won't let you stay sick!"

Orihime scooped him up and placed him on the sofa next to her. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him unruly hair. "Who told you I was sick?"

"Grandpa… He, he told me not to bother you." His body hiccupped and tears made their way down his cheeks. "And, and, and that you were sick and, and, and you need your rest!"

Orihime took a deep breath. Though Tamotsu was very bright, she had to be patient and delicate with situations such as this.

"I feel fine and I'm not sick. Okay?"

Tamotsu frowned. "I heard him say that you were sick and that the baby was giving you com-compli-k-shans."

Orihime smiled. "Those complications mean nothing. Don't worry about it. I'm fine and the baby is fine." Orihime pushed the tears away on his face.

"But mommy! There's something wrong with your belly."

Orihime looked down. "What do you mean?"

"I felt something…"

Orihime took his tiny hand and placed it on her belly. It was a few moments before she kicked again.

Tamotsu gasped and squealed in a mixture of delight and horror.

"That's the baby, Monkey." Tamotsu looked up at his mother. "That's the baby telling you she loves you."

"She..?" Tamotsu watched her enlarged stomach in wonder. "The baby loves me?"

Orihime nodded. "Mhmm. And the baby loves me and daddy and Grandpa and everyone else."

Tamotsu smiled his dazzling smile. "I love the baby too."

Orihime hugged him and squeezed tight. "And I love you."

Tamotsu sighed into her grip. "And you love daddy too?"

Orihime's grip on him loosened for a second. "I love daddy all the time."

"But you two argue all the time." He craned his neck up to look at his mother.

Orihime nodded. "That's true, Monkey. Sometimes we do argue, but that doesn't make me love him any less…"

**…**

"More pictures are coming out. People are telling magazines that they've seen you two places. This publicity isn't the good kind." Ishida placed a pile of magazines on the table. "This isn't the kind of light we want to shed on our company."

Ichigo crossed his arms. "Ishida, you think I don't know that?"

"You sure didn't care to care when you were doing it!" Ishida took a deep breath. "So we've already set up cleaners to try convincing the papers to try not to broadcast your indiscretions anymore than they already have. Also, there's a banquet coming up in about three months or so. The Kidō Corporation basically wants to thank everyone for their hard work and appreciation. We have ties with them so it would be impolite if we didn't go. I want you to go to represent us. You'll go with Orihime, as the happily married couple you are. Do you get that?"

Ichigo opened his mouth to give a retort but Lisa knocked on his office door.

"Mr. Kurosaki."

Ishida stood up straighter and adjusted his glasses.

"What is it now, Lisa?" Ichigo asked.

"I have someone on hold."

Ichigo stood up quickly. "Is it Orihime?"

"No… It's Sousuke Aizen. He says he has a message for you…"

* * *

**I wrote that scene with Tamotsu and the baby because I wanted to give you guys a peek at what Tamotsu was feeling (I absolutely love writing scenes from Tamotsu's POV). I didn't want him to blame the baby or resent it, but to let the baby in on what he's feeling. I thought it was important for the kids to have that connection.**

**Then there was the scene where Orihime took off her wedding rings. I originally planned for that to happen in SD, but it didn't really fit the atmosphere yet. And the words that were italicized were the vows that Ichigo said to Orihime on their wedding day in my story **Vows**.**

**Rocka. **

**P.S. ****Also, does anyone remember that tape of Kensei and Ichigo that Aizen supposedly said he'd use as **blackmail******? Hmm…**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update today, I was really busy and I was all over the place this weekend.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, all rights go to Tite Kubo.**

* * *

Ichigo walked across the room and picked up the phone.

"Aizen! What do you what?"

Ichigo had no doubt it was him when his voice slithered through the receiver. "You shouldn't be so rude to a former client... I might have some serious issues that need to be discussed. You don't want me to be turned off."

Ichigo clenched his teeth, a habit that his wife suggested that he should ease up on. "Cut to the fucking chase."

Aizen's resonate chuckled wafted through his ear. "Meet me at Kyōka Suigetsu tomorrow at ten. I don't want you to miss the opening."

The orange haired man scowled. "Why-"

_Click_.

Ichigo slowly lowered the phone into its base.

"Well, what did he say?"

Ichigo looked at Ishida. "He wants me to meet him at his club opening in two days."

Ishida fiddled with the sides of his glasses. "What do you think he wants?"

"You really want me to go?" Ichigo shook his head. "Unbelievable…"

"What do we have to lose?" Lisa stepped forward. Her voice stern and clam, as always. "Aizen is a dangerous man, we all know that. But he wouldn't have called you unless he really needed you."

Ishida rubbed the side of his face. "Do if for Ori-"

"Don't you dare bring her up in this situation." Ichigo straightened out his jacket and exited the room. "Give me a moment."

**…**

Orihime nibbled on a piece of toast and jam just to keep the baby going. Anything and everything about food at the moment was disgusting… except for chocolate.

"Is that better?" Orihime whispered to her belly. "I'm sorry that all of this is happening… I just want to let you know that I love you. And I can't wait to meet you, my beautiful, beautiful, baby…"

It kicked back in response.

Orihime smiled at her reply. "I think we should give you a name now… How's about Fuu…? I think it means wind…"

No response.

The woman harrumphed. "Well little miss sassy… I didn't like it that much either." Orihime taped her bottom lip with her forefinger in thought. "Hmm… How about the name Mui?! That's cute!"

The baby gave a tiny squirm.

Orihime rubbed the spot gently. The baby was so picky. "Okay, I got the point."

The phone rang beside her and Orihime reached out to pick it up.

She took another bite out of the toast. "Hello, Kurosaki residence."

"I'm so glad you picked up…" said a recognizable voice.

Damn. She should have checked the caller ID first…

"Don't hang up!" he shouted.

Orihime sighed. "What do you want, Ichigo?"

"I want to talk to you, to hear your voice…" He was breathing hard.

The woman rubbed her shoulder uncomfortably. "I don't want to talk right now…"

Ichigo slid a heavy hand down the side of his face. "Can I at least speak to Tamotsu then?"

Orihime contemplated his request. It couldn't hurt. By law, Tamotsu was his adoptive son.

The woman placed her hand over the receiver. "Tamotsu, come here Monkey."

Tamotsu looked up from his Sudoku booklet. He ran over to the other side of the room and up the couch and plopped down next to his mother.

Orihime pressed the speakerphone icon and told Tamotsu that his father was on the phone.

"Hi daddy!"

"Hey champ." His breath was shaky. "Have you been a good boy?"

Tamotsu gave his wide grin. "The greatest!"

Ichigo inhaled sharply. He leaned against his desk and smiled. He loved hearing his son's voice. It squeezed his heart to know that he wouldn't be seeing him for a while. "What about mommy? Is she doing okay?"

Tamotsu turned around and looked at his mother sitting on the couch. She looked alright to him with the exception of her stomach. "Did you know that mommy has a baby in her belly?"

Ichigo chuckled a little. "Yes. Yes, I did."

Tamotsu went on. "Mommy's stomach is big!"

Ichigo's voice lodged itself in his throat. "Is it?"

"Mmhm!" Tamotsu stood on the couch and bounced up and down. "Guess what! I went on an adventure in the yard! I was fighting a big, big dragon that went like aaarg! And he was throwing fire at me! Then I took the dragon pushed it down the hill and I saved Kon from the high, high tower!"

"Really?" He raked his hand through his hair.

"Really, daddy, really!"

"And what color was the dragon?"

"It had purple scales and a green tail and…" Tamotsu tugged at his head. "Red hair!"

"He sounds scary…" Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose. "Hey, champ, can you put mommy back on the phone?"

"Mmhm!" Tamotsu looked at his mom and jumped off the couch.

"Ichigo?"

"Orihime?"

"I'm here…" she whispered.

He smiled at her voice but his heart still panged with hurt. "God, I love you."

Orihime wasn't impressed. "If you love me, why do you do the things you do…?"

Ichigo sat down in his chair and closed his eyes. "I don't want to settle this over the phone. I don't know when I'll get the free time, but when I do, I'm coming straight down and I'm going to see you."

She wanted to say that she wanted to see him too but, instead, Orihime looked down at her son. "Tamotsu, do you miss daddy?"

He looked up at her and smiled. "Yes mommy. I miss daddy very much."

She sighed again. "Well, Ichigo." She said towards the base. "We'll be here…"

"I love you." He whispered once more in one last effort.

Orihime clicked the button "end" without a response. She looked back down at Tamotsu. "Want to go to the playground?"

Tamotsu nodded vigorously.

When they got there, it was empty with the exception of a two jogging woman and a teenager reading on one of the benches.

"Mommy, can I go on the slide?" Tamotsu looked up at her longingly.

"Um…" Orihime looked around the playground again. "Sure, but don't wander…"

Tamotsu nodded in understanding. "Yes mommy." He slipped his hand out of her grip and ran to the rock wall and rope.

Orihime sat down at the bench were the young girl was reading a book. She had dark hair and dark skin and she smiled politely when she caught Orihime staring at her son.

"How old is he?"

"Huh?" Orihime looked at the girl next to her.

"How old is he?" she asked again. She was a pretty, not beautiful but pretty. Her face was extended and she had a long body. All arms and legs.

"Oh… four."

Tamotsu stood at the top of the jungle gym and played with the plastic wheel and pressed invisible buttons. "Look mommy! I'm driving!"

"That's my Monkey!" Orihime cheered half heartedly. She backed up and relaxed some more, her eyes trained on Tamotsu's every movement.

The teen watched the exchange. She took in Orihime's pregnant body and the look on her face. "So he's yours…?"

Orihime nodded tiredly. "Yes, he's mine."

"Oh." The girl shrugged. "He must look like his dad."

Tamotsu took his time going up the small steps and sat down on the platform. He pushed off and disappeared for a second in the tunnel and went shooting out of the bottom of the slide.

He hopped up and down in place, his hair bouncing with him. "Did you see that mommy?"

Orihime nodded and smiled. He needed a haircut badly but she couldn't bring herself to cutting off his brown locks. They hung down over the sides of his face and neck, his hair natural parted over his right eye.

…

…She wanted to try something, needed to try something. "Monkey, come here!"

Tamotsu turned around and ran over to her. He stopped in front of her knees and placed his hands on top of them. "Yes mommy?"

Orihime hesitantly lifted her hand to his forehead. She pushed his hair back and smoothed it down until she saw his face clearly. Orihime gasped.

"…Is something the matter mommy?" he asked politely.

"You…" She took a hollow, shaky breath. "…you… you look just like your…" she swallowed. "Your father…"

Tamotsu shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny but he didn't protest.

…He had his eyes and his nose… he had his hair color and his lips…

Aizen was there, he was always there and he would always be there. And that was the moment when Orihime realized that she would never escape him…

* * *

**Later that night.**

* * *

Orihime opened the door to Ichigo's old bedroom and watched Tamotsu walk inside. "Up you go!"

Tamotsu scrambled up the bed and pulled the blue covers up to his chin. "I'm ready!" he shouted.

Orihime sat down on the side of the bed and tickled Tamotsu through the blanket. "I'll decide what's what! Did you wash your face?"

He nodded.

Orihime's eyes widened. "How about those toes?!" She chose the right moment to strike on his feet and he yelped from the tickles.

"And your nose?" Orihime tapped his nose twice with her finger. He wrinkled it and gave her his wonderful gift of laughter.

"What about those choppers?!" Tamotsu nodded and grinned. "They are pearly-white!" Orihime tapped his lip and he made to bite her but she pulled back before he could.

"So I think we are all ready now!" Orihime bent down and gave him an Eskimo kiss.

Orihime got up and turned off the lamp.

She was closing the door when Tamotsu called out to her.

She turned to look at him. "Yes Monkey?"

Tamotsu sat up. "When can we go home?"

Orihime's smile died down. "You want to go home?"

"…I want to see daddy."

Orihime walked back over and crawled into bed with him. "We'll go back soon…"

Tamotsu looked up at her, his large brown eyes shining and visible in the dark of the room. "When?"

"I don't know yet. But when I do, you'll be the first to know."

**…**

Ichigo stood out of the car and walked up to the tall, bright building. You could already hear the music inside playing loudly.

The line was already wrapping around the block, people, pre-buzzed and happy, waiting for their turn to get inside.

Ichigo and his men walked to the front of the line and showed the bouncer, a scary looking man with red tattoos on his cheek bones and a long black ponytail, the pass that was given to him.

The brawny man let Ichigo and his men pass.

Ichigo had been to clubs before, many times, but those days were over.

He maneuvered through the crowd like a pro, dodging the grinding girls and drunken men with drinks in their hands.

"Well where the fuck is he?" Ichigo looked over the crowd heads.

"Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Ichigo turned around and saw a tall, tanned, blond haired woman. She had on long white boots, a short white skirt that went up to high, and a shirt that barely covered anything.

Her long blond lashes lowered over green eyes. "Aizen-sama will see you now."

**…**

Orihime sat up in the bed then leaned back on her elbows. She looked around Ichigo's old bedroom.

Careful not to wake Tamotsu, Orihime scooted off bed and onto the wooden floors.

He had the same desk and lamp by the bed and sliding closet. Old textbooks piled in the corner. His old clock read about eleven o'clock at night.

Orihime smiled. She loved getting tiny pieces of Ichigo's past, not matter how small.

The pregnant woman made her way down the steps and into the kitchen. She screamed when she heard a rumbling coming from the refrigerator.

Isshin looked over the white door and smiled. "Hey!"

The woman held her chest and took a deep breath. "Hi." Orihime sat down at the table. "Why are you up so late?"

Isshin sniffed food that was in a container but placed it back inside the refrigerator. "When the kids were younger they would have nightmares about ghosts or monsters, so it became routine for me to wake up at this time." Isshin pulled out a chair for her at the kitchen table and walked over to the cabinets.

Orihime was intrigued. "Ichigo had nightmares?"

"The worst!" Isshin brought out two cups and a carton. "Of course I could never fix them. It would take me hours to calm him down. With Masaki it only took moments." Isshin walked back over to the table and poured apple juice in both cups and handed one to Orihime.

"Can you tell me more about Masaki?" The woman grinned. "Tell me what she looked like, again."

"She had long wavy light brown hair that went down her back. It was the softest, shiniest hair in I've ever seen. And Masaki had these huge amber eyes, just like Ichigo's. They were really wide and understanding." Isshin lifted his hands to his face to exaggerate his point. "She was always smiling and laughing. There was never a moment where she wasn't smiling or laughing."

Orihime watched Isshin glow. She could tell he liked talking about her. "What was she like?"

"Well, she was the regular adjectives… loving, caring, sweet, kind, all that good stuff. But there was more to her than that. She was truly something else…" Isshin smirked. Did you know that she only complimented me on my looks once?" Orihime smiled and shook her head, he went on. "The only compliment she gave was that I looked cool when I smoked."

Orihime didn't know that he was a smoker. The house had never smelled like cigarettes. "Smoked?"

"I stopped, but on her special day, I go to her grave and smoke a cigarette just for her to see."

"That's… that's beautiful." Orihime hoped that she and Ichigo could have a love that strong. "…Um…." Orihime taped on her glass. "…Why did you and Ichigo stop talking…?"

Isshin took a sip of his apple juice. "It just didn't stop when he moved out; it was way earlier than that…"

**…**

"Follow me." The blonde turned around and walked through the crowd with ease.

The three men and the woman came to a door with red curtains draped on the sides.

The woman knocked, seconds later the door was open.

Aizen took a sip of his red drink and smiled at his guest. "Welcome, Kurosaki and friends, to our gathering or discotheque if you will." The man pointed to the three chairs in front of him.

When they made no indication to move, two women, one with black pigtails, the other with short blonde hair, pushed them down in their seats.

"Thank you Loly, Menoly."

The women smiled and scurried off.

Aizen stood from his chair and walked over to the other side of the room.

Ichigo glowered. The room had Aizen written all over it. There was a minbar in the back, the room consisted of red, white, black and deep purple. Ichigo shook his head in disgust. "Why am I here?"

Aizen arched a brow. "Simple. I asked you to come."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "What do you want from me?"

The commanding man chuckled "We'll get to that, but first, do you like the club?"

The orange haired man frowned. "It's flashy and pretentious and I wouldn't be caught dead in a place like this… if it wasn't for the recent circumstances."

Aizen gave him a look of mock discontentment. "Kurosaki that hurts my feelings… I put a lot of effort into this place." He smiled again. "I could not have done it without you… That's why I need you."

**…**

"He was nine and there was an accident… It all happened too fast, no one knows what really happened… There was a man, he was soon caught, but he was targeting woman." Isshin sighed. "That night… he happened to come across my Masaki."

Orihime lowered her eyes. "Oh…"

Isshin scratched his hair. "Ichigo always thought it was his fault that she died, when it wasn't and it never would be. He wanted to protect her and he couldn't, so he blamed himself."

"That's why you stopped talking?"

"Over the years we became more detached." Isshin shrugged. "I could never, ever blame Ichigo for what happened. So he was mad at me because I wasn't mad at him."

Orihime knew Ichigo was hard-headed and stubborn but he couldn't have carried such a burden with him for so long. "Ichigo must have realized that you couldn't blame a child for something like that."

Isshin looked up at his daughter with solemn, brown eyes. "If I were to blame Masaki's death on Ichigo, Masaki would get mad at me. It's not anyone's fault that Masaki died. It's just that, the woman I fell in love with was a woman who could die protecting her son. And don't forget, Ichigo is the guy the woman that I loved gave her life to protect."

**…**

"…Need… me?"

Aizen stood. He walked over to a man standing in the back whom Ichigo didn't see. He had shoulder length black hair and pale skin. Ichigo couldn't completely see his face but he exchanged a few words with Aizen before leaving the room through a door in the back.

"…Yes. I need you. I want to work with you again."

"To hell with that! I'm not working with a prick like you ever again. You tried to take my son from me!" Ichigo was sick of this. He got up, followed by his advisers. Ichigo glared when two men stood in front of the door, blocking his way.

Aizen sighed. "I was afraid you'd do this." He strode over to the mini bar in the side of the room and a tall, bored looking man poured him another drink. "That's why I took some precautions." He took a sip and waited for Ichigo to look at him. "Do you remember the name Kensei Muguruma?"

The name had rung an immediate bell. "What's it to you?" he asked cautiously.

Aizen considered and leaned on the bar for a moment, soaking up the attention. "I found some interesting documents..."

"You don't know anything." Ichigo spat back.

"Me?" Aizen shook his head in laughter. "Oh, Kurosaki, do you know the meaning of the word fraud?"

Ichigo folded his arms. "Do you know the meaning of the word blackmail?"

Aizen smirked.

"…I think we can come to an agreement…"

* * *

**Sorry, guys, for how raw and, well, empty this chapter was. I don't know if to classify this as a filler chapter. If it is, I'm apologizing again. I absolutely hate filler chapter, but they have to be done.**

**My head was really all over the place all this week but I think everyone should look forward to **chapter 11**. It will answer a lot of questions and it definitely should not be skipped.**

**Rocka.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Another week, another chapter! This chapter is just another filler, but an important chapter nonetheless! Please bare with me here, I know the story is moving slow as opposed to the beginning but it'll be worth it in the long run.

**Disclaimer: **I'm running out of things to say in the disclaimer…! Anyway, I don't own Bleach.

* * *

**Two and a half weeks later.**

* * *

Orihime lifted the shirt off the rack and pressed it against Tamotsu's chest.

"I think that'll fit…" Orihime couldn't tell. He was just growing every day. She made a split decision and draped the shirt over her arm. "I'll get it anyway."

"Mommy!" Tamotsu lifted his finger to his mouth. "My tooth is wiggling!" He smiled up wide for her to see.

She leaned down so she could get a closer look. He grinded his teeth together and sure enough the front one was loose. "Oh, that's wonderful, Monkey." She patted his head.

The mother and her son went to the check out to pay for the shirt and a few other outfits for Tamotsu.

It was a cute store. Perfect for all their shopping needs and only a ten minute walk from Isshin's.

The line was pretty long, but only because the woman in front of her had a boat load of junk to buy. Behind her the line began to pile and the register next to them opened up.

"…Hey… hey, I think I know you…" Orihime turned around. A woman with stringy blond hair smiled at her. She had a rounded belly and Orihime assumed she was pregnant.

"Huh?"

She squint her eyes. "I think I saw you in that magazine…"

"Oh, um…" Orihime averted her eyes. "I wouldn't know…"

The blond woman shrugged and sighed heavily. She looked new to the whole pregnancy thing.

Orihime tugged at Tamotsu's arm and he dropped his hand from his tooth.

"So, how far along are you?" She asked and the line moved up a little.

Orihime rubbed her stomach. It had gotten just a tad bit bigger in the past days. "…Twenty-two weeks."

"Really? So am I!" She patted her own stomach and smiled in triumph.

…But… her belly was bigger. Much bigger. It looked as if her child was just beginning to gain a human form. Orihime's belly looked as if it was holding a half deflated volleyball.

"Oh…"

"Miss." The cashier waved her hand and gave an irritated 'ah-hm'. "We have to keep the line going…"

Orihime placed the cloths on the counter. "I… I don't think I'll be getting any of this..." She took Tamotsu's hand firmly and dragged him out the store.

**…**

"Tamotsu, finish your plate."

Tamotsu harrumphed and pushed pea over on his plate. He was trying all night to avoid those tiny green veggies.

Isshin crossed his arms and frowned. "Tamotsu, you told me you wanted to be big and strong just like me!"

Tamotsu looked up from his plate, smiled and nodded. "I want to be big a strong just like grandpa!"

Isshin leaned in and cupped his hands around his mouth in a whisper. "Do you want to know the secret to being big and strong?"

Tamotsu leaned in too, completely intrigued.

Orihime giggled.

Isshin looked behind him to make sure no one was listening. Tamotsu did the same.

"I… I ate… _peas_." Tamotsu gasped at the revelation. Isshin nodded. "I ate peas every day, all of my life."

Tamotsu sat back down and stared at his plate. There were still remnants of chicken left, the mash potatoes had completely disappeared, and there was the slightest dent in the group of peas.

Without another word, Tamotsu grabbed his fork and hulked the tiny, green vegetables all down.

"Tamotsu slow down!" Orihime placed a hand on his back and he glanced up at her. "Mommy, I'm going to be big and strong!" He flexed his slim arms and grinned at her with green teeth.

"That's wonderful." Then she remembered something. "Tamotsu, did you tell grandpa about what happened to you today?"

The child sat back and thought for a moment. "Oh! Grandpa, I have a loose tooth. See?!" Tamotsu wiggled the tooth for all to see.

"Well I guess we do have a big and strong man on our hands!"

Tamotsu blushed at Isshin's praise.

Orihime took Tamotsu's plate and walked to the kitchen sink. "Tamotsu, go get ready for bed. I'll be up in a minute."

Tamotsu smirked and slid out of the chair. He ran quickly up the stairs and jumped into bed before his mother could change her mind about the rest of the peas.

She walked back to the table and took the rest of the plates. "Thank you, Isshin. I don't think I would have ever gotten him to eat his vegetables."

"My pleasure!" Isshin sat back and closed his eyes. "You just make such a wonderful dinner."

"It's nothing really… How about tomorrow I make castella for dessert?!"

Isshin hummed. "Sounds delicious… That's Ichigo's favorite, right?"

Orihime paused at the sink. Her hands were sudsy from all of the soapy dish water. "…One of his favorites…."

Isshin opened an eye. "… Orihime, come here my child."

Orihime dried her hands off and came back to the table. "Yes Isshin?"

"I love you like you are one of my own. So I have to ask… Are you happy being with my son?"

Orihime was shocked. No one had actually asked her that questioned. They either assumed or didn't pry. And if they did, they only gave her advice… But never had someone truly asked her about her happiness.

"Um… Life with him has its ups and downs but-"

Isshin lifted a hand to stop her and shook his head. "That's not what I asked you."

Orihime bit the inside of her cheek and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She had never actually been under close scrutiny from Isshin. "…Well… I think I am- But don't get me wrong, I love you son, I really love Ichigo and I'm happy. But when it's bad- and it gets bad- of course I'm not happy… But when I think about it… all of the times when it was good make up for every time it was bad… I'm extremely happy being with Ichigo. He makes the wrong decisions but he has good intentions, I know they are." Orihime took a deep breath. "But he's so impulsive and hard-headed and just… irking! He frustrates the… the… the _hell_ out of me." Orihime smiled at her swear word. "But God I love that man."

She realized that she was gripping the table cloth and looked up at Isshin.

He was smiling, almost on the verge of laughing.

"What's so funny?" Orihime asked cautiously.

"Nothing… nothing." Isshin continued to smile.

Orihime went up to bed after that. On her way up the stairs Isshin burst into laughter.

She still never found out why he laughed so hard.

* * *

**The next night.**

* * *

"Have a good night, Kurosaki-san."

Ichigo waved a quick hand at his receptionist. "Night, Lisa." He looked back down at his computer which didn't say anything in particular. At first, he thought or at least he told himself that he was writing a report or a review or something like that, but it ended up being a collection of meaningless words on a half typed paper.

For the past two weeks he had been spending extra hours at the office just because… because…

_Because you don't want to go home to an empty house._

Ichigo blew out hot air and sank back into his chair.

He opened the top drawer to his desk and pulled out two rings. It wasn't warm anymore, not like when she took them off. They were hard and cold.

He remembered how he proposed…

Her expression and how she stopped breathing…

He thought he killed her... well, she didn't die, obviously, but she did freeze in place until he told her to breathe.

After he sat her down and got her some water, she said yes.

The man smiled.

Maybe he should call… No, what if they weren't awake? What if Isshin picked up? What if it was Orihime? What would he say?

_I miss you and I'm sorry._

Pathetic. He knew that.

But he missed her. He missed her so much.

Maybe he would just try, just to see what would happen…

**…**

Orihime piled back the wrapper to the Hershey Bar and grinned in delight.

Through all of the inconvenient drama going on in her life, chocolate was her only vice.

She took a bite and smiled. Between shopping, cooking, and eating chocolate, Orihime would be sleeping. But she could never sleep at night. It was like the baby had a whole night life and loved to party and squirm around midnight until four o'clock.

…Which was fine by Orihime because she was able to eat chocolate without Isshin on her back about how much caffeine she was digesting.

Orihime walked back to the living room. She sat down on the sofa just in time for the last commercial to begin.

It was an older woman and her husband, smiling at each other over a dinner table. The older woman told the camera that if it wasn't for the new dating cite, she would have never found her soul mate. The person she'd been waiting for all her life.

Orihime touched her now empty finger. It felt so weird. Light and… and, well, weird... Just weird…

She never realized how different she would feel without the rings on her finger.

Or how empty.

The phone rang and Orihime picked it up without another thought.

"Hello, Kurosaki residence."

Her heart gave that rough tug when she heard his voice. "Hey…"

She heard some shuffling in the background.

"The news is kind of dying down so I'll be down there tomorrow afternoon…" There was silence. "Are you still there?"

Orihime pulled her feet under her because they were cold. "I don't know what to say…"

Ichigo closed his eyes and laid his head on his desk. "I hate this…"

"How do you think I feel?"

"I had to do what I had to do. I was helping-" Ichigo stopped his self before he made himself angry. "I don't know how many times I have to say it, Orihime. I'm sorry."

"Words aren't enough for me, Ichigo. At least… not anymore…" Orihime leaned her head on the couch arm. "Why are you calling so late anyway?"

"I can't sleep." He opened his eyes in alarm. "Why are you up so late? You should be sleeping."

The woman took another bite out of the chocolate bar. "I can't sleep either."

"I can't… I can't take being apart from you and Tamotsu from this long." Ichigo sat up and powered down his computer.

"Ichigo…" Orihime turned the television volume down with the remote. She wanted to tell him that she missed him too, but that would be giving up. "I'm not sure if I can handle any of it anymore."

"Any of what?"

"Any of… us. I can't mentally or physically take us anymore…"

Ichigo blinked a few times, confused. "If you're talking about a divorce…"

Orihime surprised herself and gave a tiny yawn. "Look, Ichigo… I'm getting a little tired."

"We can't just leave this conversation as it is..."

Orihime adjusted her position on the couch until she was comfortable. "Let's talk about this tomorrow." She pressed the end button and placed the phone back in its place.

The television was left on and Orihime had fallen asleep within seconds. It didn't feel like long before she was awoken by a tiny poke.

"Ichigo…" she whispered. "Ichigo... stop that…"

Tamotsu cocked his head to the side and pushed at her arm again. Why were grownups so hard to wake up? "…Mommy."

Orihime repositioned herself on the couch and then rolled over again.

"Mommy." Tamotsu frowned at her.

She finally opened her grey eyes. "…Tamotsu?" She opened her eyes wider in confusion and pushed her long hair out of her face. "What are you doing up?"

He stuttered on his words. "I-I had a b-bad dream."

"Oh, honey," Orihime wondered how she got a blanket on her; maybe it was Isshin's doing, but she opened the blanket and let her son crawl inside.

He sighed at her warmth and asked her a question that she never heard before.

"Say that again…?"

Tamotsu yawned. "Will Mister come back?"

Orihime shifted under the blanket so she could see his face. "Why... why would you say that?"

"Well…" The child's big brown eyes looked down at the blanket. "Mister comes into my dreams, my bad dreams." Tamotsu sat up so he could see over her baby bump. "I see him when I go to sleep."

Orihime eyes widened. She knew for a fact… she knew for a fact that Aizen is the only person who Tamotsu calls Mister. "What happens?" Orihime slid off of the sofa so she could kneel in front of her son who was sitting down. "What does he do to you?"

Tamotsu thought for a moment. He wrinkled his nose and brought his finger up to his mouth to wiggle his tooth. Orihime waited patiently until he finally spoke. "Sometimes I have bad dreams about daddy leaving me…" He lowered his head then looked back up at his mother again. "…Then Mister comes and tucks me into bed, like you do. He tells me that he loves me and he says 'Goodnight Tamotsu', then he leaves me in the bed."

Orihime searched his face for anything else. "That's it?"

Tamotsu blinked. "I call for him but he never comes back… then I wake up."

She couldn't believe what she was about to tell him. She moved up closer to him on her knees. "Tamotsu, Monkey…" She held the side of his warm face. "…Mister doesn't exist… do you understand me?" She took a deep breath. "Do you understand the word 'exist'? …The baby exists," Orihime took his hand and placed it on her belly. "Me and you exist... But Mister does not. He isn't real."

He crumbled his brow. "But… I've seen him. I played _I Declare War_ with him…"

She held his arms tightly and gently shook him, willing his young mind to understand. "He was never here. It was all a dream... You never met him or played with him… Tamotsu, do you understand me?"

He was out of their lives! Why did he manage to slip his way back inside her home? Into the one person who she loved the most?

Tamotsu slowly nodded.

Orihime brought Tamotsu up into a hug and held him tightly. "I love you."

His face was wedged between her chest and her arms and he couldn't breathe. "Mommy, you're hurting me!"

* * *

**The next day.**

* * *

The silvered haired man slid one icy blue eye over one face to the next.

They were fools all of them.

Even the ring leader, the one at the head of the table.

The number one fool of them all….

"I think it's about time we move our plan into action."

A long smile stretched across his face. "I think we should let 'em scramble around some more. I like seeing 'em flounder."

He needed to buy himself some more time…

Aizen's dark eyes flickered to the smirking man. "I don't see why."

"I would like ta think that ya would let them suffer some more. Aw, Aizen-sama!" He leaned up in his chair and placed mock distress into his voice. "Don't tell me ya go'n all soft on me now!"

Tōsen frowned. "Gin's right." The silver haired man grinned some more when he saw that it brought the man great discomfort to agree with him. "If we move too fast everything could go awry."

His smile broadened.

Aizen turned in his chair, away from his associates.

"…We'll see."

As Gin walked out of his office, he couldn't help but feel that slither of hope. The hope that maybe, just maybe, he could bring things back to where they belonged.

But hope was a dangerous thing.

Gin frowned.

It was better to believe to have no hope at all then to let that tiny slither of light break through one's resolve and have their tower of defense come crumbling down.

No, Aizen would bid his time… and so would Gin.

He was planning on it.

**…**

"Are you all ready?" Isshin lifted his brow at his grandchild.

Tamotsu nodded, exasperated.

Isshin hummed, considering. "If you left that room a mess you're going to get it!"

Tamotsu giggled at his grandfather's attempt to be authoritative. "Yes!"

"Let's go play ball!"

The boys went outside and Orihime finished folding Tamotsu's tiny shirts and pants. They always left clothes at Isshin's just so they could stop over and spend the night anytime they wanted. She just didn't know that they'd end up staying for about a month.

The front door opened and closed loudly.

"Tamotsu, what did I tell you about slamming the door?" Orihime crammed all of the folded clothes into her basket. "Now try it again-"

He stood in front of her, hands in his pockets, a faint smile on his lips. "…Hey hun..."

Ichigo stuck out his hands and Orihime recoiled. She didn't know why she did; she didn't even want to recoil. Where did that come from?

Shock crossed Ichigo's features and his amber eyes expanded. His smile dropped though he was trying his hardest to keep it up.

He then lowered himself onto the couch next to her. "I've missed you so much…" He looked at the pile of laundry. "Do you want me to take that?" He reached out to take it but Orihime pushed it away from him.

Ichigo inhaled.

He had dark circles under his eyes and his face looked a tad bit thinner, Orihime observed.

Orihime exhaled.

"Are you ready to go?"

Orihime continued to stare at him. He just seemed different. He wasn't Ichigo anymore but someone completely different.

"I, um… I," Ichigo dug into his pocket and pulled out two rings. He sat on the couch next to her. "I saved these for you…"

Orihime furrowed her brow and she finally spoke. "I'm not taking those back."

His jaw dropped. "Why not?"

"I'm not taking that back until you show me that you can be a good husband and father…"

"I'm trying Orihime. I'm here aren't I?" He shook his head unbelievingly. "Now, please… I need you."

The woman rubbed her arm worriedly. "I… I missed you and I needed you and you weren't here." Orihime looked into his eyes. He looked so sad. "You left me here. Why would you do that…?" The woman lifted her hand to his cheek and rubbed her thumb across the skin there.

The man took her hand and kissed her palm. "I know and I'm sorry but it was the only thing I could think of to keep you safe. The last thing I wanted was to put the world into our business…" He sighed and squeezed her hand again. "I'm sorry."

The door slammed open and this time Tamotsu and Isshin came running through. "Hey! We saw the car out front!" Isshin quieted down as he saw the scene before him.

Tamotsu couldn't believe his eyes at first but soon ran to his father. "Daddy!" Ichigo let the child jump up into a hug. "Are we going home daddy?" Tamotsu asked.

Ichigo looked at Orihime. She lowered her eyes and sighed. Ichigo turned back to Tamotsu. "Yes. We're going home."

* * *

**So if you guys would all take a step back a revisit chapter one, when Rukia got into the car and told Ichigo what happened to her she mentioned a little something about Gin…**

**We all know Gin likes to pull the strings from behind, but how?**

**I promise, in the next chapter (Chapter 11), which is really long, the majority of all of your questions will be answered!**

**Rocka.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **So this chapter is basically a collection of important flashbacks. You've seen a few scenes before, and some you haven't. Somewhere in this chapter is a scene inspired by episode 52 or 53, with Gin and Rukia, but correct me if I'm wrong.

**Warning:** This chapter has a few suggestive themes/ basic you-get-the-point choice words.

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach. But I do own the movies so I don't know if that counts or not…

* * *

Rukia remembered… She remembered how it all started.

The small woman looked out the window. It was getting a tad bit colder, but she was used to it. Before… before Byakuya adopted her she was used to living in tiny apartments and motels. It was the only thing she knew.

Rukia was a good person, is a good person...

She didn't want it to end up like it all did… but it just happened…

_Rukia walked quickly into the café. She was so late and Byakuya would be mad._

"_Nii-sama…" she sighed and shook her head._

_Of course he was making her show her face to the Kuchiki Brand. She had to show up with Byakuya at meetings and listen to what those greedy, old men had to say. By the end of the meeting she'd usually shake all of their hands and nod and do as Byakuya says._

_But she never wanted to make Byakuya upset. She only wanted to make him proud and live up to her new family's name._

_But there was so much pressure to be perfect._

_The line was long and Rukia really hated her heels. If she stood in them for another second she would die._

_The woman looked around the café to see if there was a free table. There were, but a certain something caught her eye._

_A scruffy man hunched over a laptop and coffee tapped furiously away at the buttons. His distinctly colored hair made him an eyesore in the otherwise drab room. _

"_Still working hard?"_

_Ichigo looked up and immediately smirked. "Nah, I'm hardly working."_

_Rukia sat down opposite of him. "You still look the same." In a way he did. His bright hair was all disheveled and tousled and he was in the process of growing a goatee in account of his unshaven face._

"_So do you." He rubbed his thumb against his orange stubble. "I would think you'd be all glamoured up since you're the new heiress."_

_Rukia frowned. "Why does every think that I turned into some snot-nosed prima donna. I'm still the same me." She thought for a moment. "But now I'm an heiress."_

_Ichigo grinned. "They have you wearing heels?"_

_Rukia rolled her eyes. "Shut up! Yes they have me wearing heels. It's not a crime." She grabbed his untouched coffee and twirled the straw around in its glass. __"So… How's married life?"_

_She watched him hesitate on his typing, and then he continued. "… It's… good."_

_The petite woman grinned. "Should I ask?"_

_Her smile dropped when he scowled at his laptop. His face contorted in a way that made her a little afraid._

"_Do you want to talk about this? I mean-"_

"_Orihime had a miscarriage."_

_Rukia's violet eyes enlarged. "…Ichigo… I'm so sorry…" Rukia had never met the woman before. But she tried. She even tried to make it to their wedding but Byakuya sent her on a business trip._

_Orihime was a nice woman or at least Rukia had been told. She and Ichigo met in college, but Rukia knew Ichigo in high school. Rukia also heard that Orihime has long, wavy, auburn hair and really big eyes. She also heard her body would stop a truck, in the words of Keigo. But Rukia wasn't jealous._

_It didn't matter who it was or who he married. No one should have to go through the hurt of a miscarriage, woman and man alike._

_Ichigo's frown-scowl grew even more contorted. "Don't… please…"_

"_I didn't mean-"_

"_Rukia." His voice was warning enough for her to stop._

_Rukia checked her watch. She was five minutes late and in Byakuya's time; she was already a half an hour late. Rukia bit her lip. "If you ever need anyone to talk to, please, don't hesitate." She didn't want to lose touch with him again. It had been so long since their high school years and she missed him. "Look, I have to go, but here-" Rukia scribbled her address and number on the coffee cup. "I'm in town for awhile." Rukia stood._

_Ichigo didn't respond. He just stared up at her._

"_Ichigo, take care." She bent down and kissed him on the cheek._

… She didn't mean for it to turn into anything else, honest!

His wife, Orihime had a miscarriage and he was torn up about it. He loved- loves his wife and Rukia had no intention of taking any of that from him.

They talked for awhile. When she found the chance, she called him on the phone. It was just like old times.

It went on like that for a week, them talking back and forth, that was all!

But she finally opened up to him and told him about her troubles and pressure. And one day he told her the same…

_There was a knock at the door and Rukia looked up from her magazine in surprise. She wasn't expecting anyone._

_And she definitely wasn't dressed for company, with her T-shirt and undies. Rukia threw on her robe._

_When she opened the door, to her surprise, Ichigo stood there with an expression she still couldn't fathom to this day._

"_Hey." He said softly._

"_Hey…" She opened the door wider. "Want to come in?"_

_Ichigo walked past her. He stopped in the middle of the apartment's living room and slowly took off his jacket._

"_This place is nice."_

"_Thank you." Rukia closed the door and sat down on the sofa. "Nii-sama gave it to me as a gift." She patted the cushion next to her._

_Ichigo complied._

"_What did you come over for?"_

"…_to talk." He ran his hand through his orangey hair. "I feel like you're the only one I can talk to… like you're the only one who can understand. Will understand."_

_Rukia looked at him. "Is this about Orihime?" Every time they talked on the phone they always avoided conversations about his wife._

_After a moment, he nodded._

_He finally spoke._

"_I feel like… I feel so useless…" He took a breath. "I couldn't protect my mother… And now I can't even protect my wife. What good am I?"_

_Rukia shook her head. "You can't think like that…"_

"_She… I… I did that to my wife… I… I put that _thing- _That, that_ devil…inside_ of her... _Inside_ of my _wife_… I-" He rubbed his temples and breathed deeply. Tiny drops of sweat began to appear on his forehead._

_Rukia didn't know how to respond._

"_I… it was me… It's been me all along, just hurting people. The people I love."_

"_Ichigo, you need to realize that nothing could be done…" She moved closer to him, wanting to touch him, to comfort him, but how?_

_"Rukia... I... I don't know what to do."_

_Ichigo leaned over on the sofa. His hands were folded. Eyes intense._

_"Ichigo, there was nothing you could do..." Rukia placed her hand on his arm, but Ichigo roughly shrugged it off._

_"No! You don't understand! His eyes started to water. "I did it to her! I ruined her! I... I..."_

_He began to cry and Rukia wrapped her arms around her long time friend. There she rocked him back and forth. Murmuring to him. Promising him that it'll be alright._

_She kissed his sweaty forehead and rubbed his back. Ichigo's muted sobs filled the quiet room. _

_She kissed his face, his eyes, and his hair. And to her surprise, he was returning the kisses. He was kissing her palm, her fingers, her arms._

_It was okay at first, but then his kisses became fiercer and hungrier. More demanding. He kissed up her arm until he came to her lips._

_"Ichigo!" She gasped after their first lip-to-lip contact._

_He didn't stop. Ichigo firmly pushed her down on her sofa and kissed her feverishly. His body enveloped hers. Everything she saw, smelled, and touched was him._

_"Ichigo." She breathed in heavily. All she could see was him. "I can't... We can't..." Rukia closed her eyes and relished in the pleasure he was giving her with his lips alone. She knew this was wrong. But it felt so good. "We... we can't... do... do... this!"_

_Abruptly, Ichigo stopped his kissing, and love marks and whispered softly, "I... need this." He brought his hand up to her face, and brushed back a loose strand of her dark hair. "I need you..."_

_The look in his amber eyes was saddening. He looked so tired. So sad. So broken. She couldn't reject him. And even if she wanted to, she wouldn't have been able to leave his iron grip…_

It all seemed like such a blur now, though she still remembered everything, at least his touch. She remembered the way he touched her. His large, strong hands wrapping around her like she belonged to him. She remembered him untying her robe and pulling her shirt up and over her head. She remembered making love on her couch.

And Rukia didn't like the thought of being owned, being dominated. But when it was him, when he took control of her, everything changed.

He mind went blank for once. She was able to let go, the both of them.

She could breathe, even when he stole her breath away with a kiss.

Rukia didn't have to worry about her posture or her etiquette or her manners.

She was able to act anyway she wanted, she was able to act the way she truly was.

And when Ichigo took control over her body again and again, nothing mattered.

_She didn't know how, but they ended up on the floor naked._

_Neither of them was smiling or even remotely happy. Because after the high, after the euphoria, after the feeling of pure, unadulterated ecstasy wore off… they had to face the facts. They cheated._

_Ichigo sat up and Rukia moved off of him._

_The man pulled back on his pants and clothes, pushing his jacket back up his arms._

_Rukia scrambled to find her own clothes and was relieved when her small hand bunched around her robe._

"_Ichigo…" She stood._

_He shrugged the rest of his jacket on and opened the apartment's door._

_Rukia walked closer to him. "Ichigo…?"_

_He looked behind him, but not Rukia, but at something far away. "This never happened," he said and slammed the door behind him._

_Rukia felt terrible afterwards. She felt embarrassed and ashamed. Ashamed that they cheated. Ashamed that she slept with another woman's husband. Embarrassed that he just walked out without a thank you or anything along those lines, embarrassed that he used her._

_But… she used him too. She wanted it too. Yes he was strong but if she wanted him to get off of her she could have stopped him. Nothing had ever stopped her from hitting him before._

_But the thought of him moving in and out of her... The thought of him moaning her name and making love to her… The thought of him completing himself inside of her… It was all too tempting… and that was her weakness._

_She thought that that was it. That that was the end of it. She thought he was ashamed too. _

_But the week after that he called her up again… And maybe, they thought, maybe it would all work out…_

God, just thinking about it made her upset. They both took advantage of each other, and in result they began taking advantage of everyone else around them. Rukia had taken advantage of Byakuya and Ichigo of Orihime.

Byakuya hasn't spoken to her, contacted her, or anything like that since the pictures of Ichigo and Rukia came out…

Such a shame, they said…

What a scandal, they said…

I wonder how long it was going on for…

If only they knew!

Rukia walked away from the window and sat down before her legs gave way.

All she wanted to do was protect her friend, even if it meant breaking his heart.

_Rukia closed her eyes momentarily. She told herself that she would stay out of his life._

_But he needed to know. He had to know._

_The door opened and Rukia sat up straighter._

_At first, he was surprised, confused, upset, and then composed, all in a matter of ten seconds._

_"Lisa... hold all of my calls for the hour." He shouted over his shoulder._

_Rukia adjusted her position, crossing one leg over the other._

_The orange haired man strolled into the room. "What are you doing here...?"_

_Rukia hopped off the desk and closed the distance until she was three feet away from him. "We need to clear up some things..."_

_The man pursed his lips._

_The woman squint her eyes._

_Rukia walked back over to his desk and pointed to his seat "Here, sit."_

_Ichigo closed the door behind him and locked it._

"_I don't want any funny business, Rukia." He sat down._

"_We have business to discuss. None of which is funny."_

_He finally smiled. "Alright, alright. I trust you."_

_Rukia leaned over him and opened his laptop. She placed an unlabeled CD into the disc player and waited for it to load._

_The play button popped up and Rukia pressed it._

_At first, it was a collection of snow. The fuzzy blackish-grayish haze zipping up and down on the screen_

"_What is this Rukia?" Ichigo looked up at her, eyebrows raised._

_She took a deep breath. "Just watch…"_

_Then an image appeared. It was hazy at first but then it adjusted to the darkness of the room. _

"…_What is this? What…"_

_Rukia held her breath._

_It was a bedroom. You could easily make out the curve of the white bed and purple and red pillows._

_That's when they came bumbling in. A large form came stumbling backwards and crashing down on the edge of the bed._

_It only took a moment for Ichigo to realize that it wasn't one form, but two. Two different people._

_And then he knew. Rukia could see it on his face. He knew it was her. He could recognize that fiery long hair anywhere._

_She didn't have on a shirt or pants, just a bra. His chest was bare too and he unlatched her last item of clothing._

_He pushed her back on the bed, and she let him, she let him do those things to her. It wasn't forced but she let him…_

_Ichigo looked away._

_By then it had gone too far. She had forgotten about everything except for the man on top of her._

_Ichigo placed his hand on top of the laptop and eased it shut._

_Rukia moved quickly to explain. "Ichigo, before you say anything-"_

_He held up a hand. His lips were a thin white line, his jaw taunt. A vein tempted to throb through his temple._

"_My intentions-"_

_He hushed her again. "Don't," was all he said._

_Rukia huffed and stomped her foot irritably. "This shouldn't be a surprise to you. Don't get mad at me because I opened your eyes to the truth!"_

"_I'm not mad at you..." He sighed. "But I am disappointed in myself..."_

She shook her head. "_But-"_

"_That's all there is to it." He looked up at her with this long look in his amber eyes. "What did you expect from me after watching this?"_

_Rukia twisted her hands into a knot. _"_I…I don't know…" She wasn't expecting this reaction from him… to be honest, she wasn't sure what to expect. She just thought he needed to know._

"_Did you think I would leave my wife?"_

_Rukia shook her head immediately. "…No. No you would never leave your wife. I know this... I was just trying to open your eyes…"_

"_Rukia, if you ever need anything, anything at all, I'll be here. If you ever need anyone to talk to, please, don't hesitate." Ichigo stood and made for the door._

_Rukia walked behind him. "Where are you going now?"_

"_Home. I still love her. And I still love my son." Ichigo held the door handle and smiled at her. "Goodbye Rukia." He closed the door behind him._

She was trying to help.

That's all.

It took her to this day to realize that what he said to her was the exact same thing she said to him in his time of need.

Rukia sat back completely and closed her eyes.

_Byakuya shook hands with the tall man and bowed. He apparently was building this new and glorious hotel and the Kuchiki Brand wants to invest in it._

_Rukia stood behind him and bowed also but kept her distance._

_His name was Sousuke Aizen and everyone was saying how fantastic he was. The whole time he sat there, thinking, with this smirk on his full lips. He was very handsome, but Nii-sama says to never let looks distract you from their intentions._

_The meeting had finished and from Rukia's perspective, it seemed to have gone well._

_But Nii-sama says all the time that you can't always rely on the other party's word._

_The duo left the room and walked down the long corridor. Rukia wanted to ask him questions about what just went on but Byakuya stopped and she almost bumped into his back._

"_Good afternoon Kuchiki-san. The meet'n went well I presume. Sorry I couldn't make it 'n time…" She knew exactly who the voice belonged to._

_Byakuya nodded and responded but Rukia didn't hear it._

_Rukia stood still and stared at him. Stared at the silver haired man._

_His fingertips._

_His lips._

_The way his eye never shifted._

_Rukia hated this man._

_Though he was speaking to her brother, it felt as though he had his hands around her neck._

_She couldn't breathe._

_It seemed like he could find the smallest crack of in those around him, and seek deep down into you._

_Like a venom._

_That's the kind of fear he aroused._

"_Have a good day, Kuchiki-san!" He said cheerfully._

_Rukia snapped out of it._

_They walked on._

_When they made it to the car, Rukia asked Byakuya why he constantly speaks to a man like that._

"_Ichimaru Gin is a prestigious man. He has connections and he came from nothing. Everything he has, he has worked for."_

"_But-"_

"_Rukia." His voice was steely. "You shouldn't ridicule a man from his background or upbringing. It's an ugly trait." _

"_I wasn't- I didn't… That's not what I meant…" Rukia trailed off at her failed attempt to explain herself._

_The car rode on._

Byakuya watched the window as he spoke his next words. "_It has come to my attention that a man by the name Kurosaki Ichigo has been visiting you afterhours."_

_Rukia paled. "He's just a fr-"_

"_Our family has spent generations building the Kuchiki image. One slip up can damage that and everything our ancestors have worked for will come crumbling down."_

_Rukia lowered her head. "Yes, Nii-sama…."_

_He didn't say another word about it._

And that was all that was ever said about that.

About three years later, after her and Ichigo broke it off; someone came to visit her…

_Rukia had come home after a long day of work._

_Byakuya always kept her busy with the mundane jobs of running all over town._

_She threw her bag on the sofa and kicked her heels off, the little devils._

_Days like these, Rukia would call Ichigo up. She'd talk about how horrible her day was and they'd make a date to meet up. _

"_Aw! I thought ya looked rather dash'n."_

_Rukia looked though the dark. Someone was sitting on her sofa._

_Rukia ran over to the lamp, stumbling over one of those horrid heels and stubbing her toes in the process. She pulled the trigger and light spread throughout the room._

_It was a man sitting on her couch. It could have been any man but she knew that silver hair anywhere. She gasped. "Gin! What are you doing here?"_

_Gin drummed his long fingers against the arm of her couch. "Just check'n on na fellow investor." He smiled up at her. "Byakuya is so fun ta work with!"_

_Rukia stared at him incredulously then shook her head. "Get out of my apartment!"_

_He frowned. "But I have someth'n ta show ya!" He stood suddenly. "Please, Rukia, sit." He offered the sofa._

_Rukia didn't know how, but she suddenly became the guest in her own house._

_Gin walked slowly, back and forth, in front of her. "Rukia… I know."_

_She blinked her violet eyes in confusion. "Huh?"_

"_I know all about yer 'lil rendezvous with that Kurosaki boy."_

_Rukia's eyes widened._

"_What's the matter…?" Gin cocked his head to the side and his grin widened as he continued to pace. "…Cat got yer tongue?"_

_Rukia gulped down the lump that formed itself in her throat. "…No. But a no good snake like you will when I arrest you for trespassing."_

_Gin shook his head, sighing. "There's no need for that."_

_Magically, Gin pulled a wad of pictures from behind him and placed them on the table. Rukia looked at them and saw that it was pictures of Ichigo walking into her apartment. Them both walking in and out of a hotel together and there was even one when they kissed in the street, it was the time when her and Ichigo broke up._

"… _This…"_

_He strolled over to her television. "I could rescue you, you know."_

_She looked up from the photos. "Wha- what do you mean?"_

"_I will make sure that no one will find out about yer previous meet'ns and greet'ns with the Kurosaki boy…. If ya do one thing fer me…."_

_Rukia considered his offer. He could protect her secret… If her infidelities got out in the media then the Kuchiki Brand would be ruined… just like what Byakuya said._

_Rukia placed the picture back on the table and looked back up at the silver haired man. "What is it you want exactly…?"_

_Gin picked up her DVD remote and tapped his nose._

_Rukia growled. "If you don't speak I'll call security."_

_Gin pursed his lips. "A 'lil feisty today, are we?" With long, pale fingers, Gin pressed a few buttons on the remote and an image came up on her television._

_It was fuzzy to begin with and then two people were suddenly in the room. On top of each other._

_Rukia leaned closer. "… Is that… Is that _Orihime_?" She squint her eyes. _

_Her body was now covered by a man's brawny body. He roughly pulled her wrists above her head and rammed into her._

_Rukia gasped. "And… and _Sousuke Aizen…_?"_

_The screen went blank and Gin leaned into her. "Show him." He said. "Show him this video and I'll make sure that you and Ichigo will stay a secret."_

_Rukia leaned away from his closeness. "You can't promise that!"_

_He smiled. "You're right. I can't."_

_Gin stood and walked to the door. "Let's just say the same man who gives, takes. He's the key and the lock. She was simply the hole to open the door…" Gin turned the knob, looked over his shoulder and smiled once more at her. "Bye bye Rukia."_

Rukia closed her eyes and tried to think.

What did he mean?

_"He's the key and the lock." _That means whoever he was speaking of was holding all of the cards.

But who?

Rukia thought out loud. "Who would take money from the Kuchiki Brand? The future of the Kuchiki Brand… And try to control me and Ichigo… Try to control Ichigo and his future and his job… His job… the media…"

She sat up.

If someone controlled Ichigo they would have a vast control over what goes in and out of the news.

Whoever controlled the news basically controlled everything… like the pictures!

_"Let's just say the same man who gives, takes"_

Oh no… There was only one man that the Kuchiki Brand had invested in the past couple of years.

_"She was simply the hole to open the door…"_

So that meant Orihime…

"…Aizen…" Rukia whispered.

Why the hell did it take her so long to realize?

She picked up the phone in its base and dialed Ichigo's number.

"Ichigo, as soon as you get this you have to call. I have some reallt important information that I can't say on the phone..."

There was a heavy knock at the door and Rukia said to call her back and quickly hung up.

When she opened the door a familiar badge was shoved in her face.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." Her body was turned around.

"You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning." Tight handcuffs came around her wrists.

"If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense." Rukia stared up at captor with wide eyes. They were arresting her.

She was silently walked outside and into the back of a police car.

* * *

**Finally the story is picking up again. Sorry it took so long. I know we were stuck for a while but now the balling is rolling again! I know you guys are Ichihime lovers so I'm sorry if you cringed through the whole lovemaking scene. I had to chop it up because I briefly forgot that this story is rated T.**

**And, yes. Rukia is being arrested, but for what?**

**Rocka.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **This chapter is more about picking up all of the pieces. So I don't know if you'd classify it as a filler but it does have many important events within it.

**Disclaimer**: This is a disclaimer nonetheless, so it shouldn't matter if I state that I don't own Bleach… Anyway, I don't own Bleach.

* * *

The air was stale, almost as if no one had been in the room for a while, as if time had stopped right in the middle of the house.

And it did.

Orihime kicked at a toy on the ground and she remembered that that was the toy Tamotsu was playing with before…

It didn't matter now. She and Tamotsu were home and everyone was back together again.

"I have a few things to show you." Ichigo said from behind her.

She turned to look at him. "Hmm?"

He slipped his hand into hers from behind. "Follow me."

When the two made it up the steps Ichigo held the knob of the door to his office.

"Okay, Ichigo." Orihime said cautiously. "What's in your office?"

Ichigo couldn't stop the smile from spreading on his face. He pushed open the door and guided Orihime into an empty room with the palest hue of blue on the walls and an alphabet carpet on the ground.

"I had Chad help me move all of my stuff into the study downstairs."

…It was so… empty. She felt cold almost. It didn't feel right at all.

"I didn't want to buy a crib or anything like that because I thought we could pick it out together this time."

Orihime looked down at the carpet under her. It was colorful, blinding almost. It didn't match the walls at all. "Oh…"

Ichigo watched her every move. She didn't seem very happy. "Do you like the walls?" He asked hopefully and pointed at the one closes to him. He hoped she was okay with the color. "I don't know the gender so I didn't know wh-"

"It's a girl."

His amber eyes widened. "...You… you know? When did you…" His lashes lowered but then he looked back up at her again. "Isshin?"

Orihime nodded.

He took a deep breath. "That's okay." He walked to her and took her limp hand. "We can paint over it together."

She was staring down at the carpet again. Ichigo knew that the stupid rug was a bad idea.

Tamotsu pushed his loose tooth back and forth. He soon realized what he came into the room for. "…Daddy! Daddy, play cards with me!" Tamotsu hopped in place in front of the doorway. "Daddy! Play cards!"

Ichigo looked down at his son. "I'll be there in a second…"

Tamotsu wiggled his nose in frustration but didn't protest. It seemed that no one had the time of day for him anymore.

"So, um… The girls also wanted to know when you were coming back down." Ichigo followed Orihime to the bedroom.

"Who?" She sat on the bed and took off her shoes. "Michiru and Ryō?"

"They said that they have some surprise for you." He sat down with her. "They said call them when you get back."

Orihime nodded.

It was silent.

What could she say?

Ichigo stood.

That was it. She nodded and that was all she had for him? A gesture with her head.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "You know, it would be easier if you would just talk to me."

Orihime sighed. "Ichigo. We have nothing to talk about."

He shoved his hands in his pockets angrily. "Are you still thinking about getting a divorce?" He just came right out with it.

She didn't look at him. "Why? Are you?"

Ichigo huffed. "I'm not perfect. This relationship isn't perfect. But I thought that we were making it work." He watched her get up and walk to the bathroom. "We were much better and now you're purposely holding us back."

Orihime wrapped her burnt-orange hair into a bun and shook her head. "Ichigo, I don't want to 'make it work'. No one should have to make their relationship work." She snuck a glance at him. He was leaning on the bathroom door.

"It's like trying to force a puzzle piece to fit when it's not the right shape." She looked back at her reflection in the mirror and sighed. "If you're looking for waterworks or some heartfelt confession about how I felt when you left me at Isshin's you're not going to get it. Not now, not ever again."

She heard him growl but ignored it. "Look, I'm tired. I'm going to take a shower and then go to bed."

Ichigo realized that the conversation wasn't going anywhere. He backed off the door roughly. "Fine… I'll just… go get dinner ready or something."

**…**

Tamotsu harrumphed.

He said he would play cards.

Now he was making smoke in the kitchen. It was everywhere... Floating on the ceiling and in the air... All of the smoke was coming out of the pot on the stove that mommy said _not_ to touch.

Now daddy was touching it… and it didn't smell good.

The child touched his wiggling tooth and assessed the situation. He visited mommy upstairs but she was sleeping. So he went back down stairs in the hopes that daddy would play cards.

But no.

He was touching the stove that mommy said _not_ to touch.

"_Mommy! Mommy!" Tamotsu ran into the kitchen, Kon dragging behind him. "Mommy!"_

_His mother was turning her big spoon around and around in a large silver pot. "Yes, Monkey?"_

_Tamotsu watched his mother add more things into the pot and stir some more. "…Mommy, can I cook?"_

_He heard her sigh. She lowered herself to his level and talked with her stern voice. "Tamotsu, I never want to see you use the stove," she pointed to the warm thingy on the counter. "Or the oven," she pointed the funny side-door that opened up and down but not side to side. "Do you understand?"_

_Tamotsu bit his lip._

"_Do _not_ touch the oven or stove." She pointed to them again._

_Tamotsu nodded this time._

"Daddy, will you play cards now?" Tamotsu was becoming very frustrated.

"Not right now- shit!" Daddy sucked on his finger and said a bad word... Mommy says that I shouldn't suck on my fingers and that I shouldn't say those words.

Why does daddy get to do everything?

"Don't repeat that." Ichigo mumbled as he dumped his gross concoction down the sink.

Tamotsu watched him run cold water over his fingers.

"Hey champ…" Ichigo turned around and stared at his son. He was standing on one of the kitchen chairs, his dark eyes wide with curiosity. "You want some pizza?"

Tamotsu shook his head and said, "I'm not hungry," and walked out of the kitchen.

**…**

Orihime couldn't sleep though she knew she needed her rest. She kept thinking about the divorce thing... Living with Ichigo was bad. He was constantly nice and gentle, considerate and smart. He was her best friend. Their sex life was far from terrible, it was amazing. She was pregnant after all… And Ichigo is a wonderful person and he makes her laugh and he makes her happy… But why does their relationship feel so empty. The thought of leaving Ichigo was terrifying, but she wanted to do what was better for everyone.

…Was she being selfish? Better for everyone? If they get a divorce then Tamotsu would be split from Ichigo. If she stayed, she would just have to endure her defunct marriage.

The woman rubbed her enlarged belly. The baby didn't respond though Orihime knew she would be waking soon.

Anyway, Orihime didn't know if giving Ichigo the cold shoulder was the right thing to do anymore.

Orihime sat up and took a deep breath. She didn't smell dinner so she assumed it wasn't made. When she checked on her son, Tamotsu was already in bed though his dinosaur pajamas were on backwards and he wasn't under the covers completely, and she could hear the television on downstairs which meant Ichigo was down there too.

When Orihime wasn't in control, the house is all out of whack.

Dinner should be cooked, made, eaten and the dishes should be washed.

Tamotsu should be in bed the right way.

And Ichigo should be upstairs in bed.

With her.

The woman huffed and stood at the top of the staircase and looked over the railing at Ichigo who was sitting on the couch.

His eyes didn't leave the television but he knew she was there. "Orihime…?" He didn't look so upset anymore.

She crossed her arms. "You aren't coming up stairs?"

He watched her walk down the steps but looked back at the television. "I haven't slept up there in a month… It's been all couch cushions for me."

Orihime sat down next to him. "Why?"

"I don't have much time lately for a normal schedule. I'm too tired sometimes to walk up the stairs."

"But why…?" He sucked in a breath then exhaled. His chest moved up and down and her eyes were drawn to the curve of his jaw down to his neck. She shook her head but it did little to help.

"I was spending late nights at the office…"

"You don't have to punish yourself." Orihime slowly smiled. "That's why I'm here."

The man sighed. "I'm not punishing myself… I'm just… Things have been different when you weren't around."

Orihime placed her hand on top of his'. "Come upstairs with me."

Ichigo shook his head and smirked. "I thought you hated me."

The woman thought for a moment. "Hmm… I don't hate you. Extremely disappointed, upset and frustrated and…" She looked at his frowning face. "You get the point."

They quieted down.

"Is this you forgiving me?" he said at last.

Orihime considered. She wrapped herself, belly and all, around his arm. "I think so…"

"I screwed up. I know this…" He took a stand of her hair and curled his finger around it. "Buy _why_ do you keep forgiving me?"

Her brow crumpled. "Because you're my husband, that's why."

He tugged on the hair and Orihime winced. "That's an excuse."

Orihime moved up against him and looked into his amber eyes. "Because I love you... I'm in love with you, silly. I wouldn't still be with you if otherwise." She smiled and asked: "Is that an excuse?"

Ichigo shrugged. "It's an answer."

Orihime reached up to touch his spiky hair. "The best one?"

Ichigo though for a moment. "…The only one."

Ichigo held her chin as he bent down and kissed her sweetly.

"Does this mean we're not getting a divorce?" he asked.

The orange haired beauty chortled though it wasn't a laughing matter. "… No, no… But, this does mean that we can start to place the puzzle pieces in the right places…"

Ichigo shifted his position so he could dig in his pocket. The man lifted the rings for her to see. "What about these?"

The woman touched her empty ring finger. "…oh... Those."

Ichigo gave her his wide, white smile. "Orihime, will you marry me… again?"

Orihime stared at the two tiny golden bands. Putting them on again meant many things…

She shook her head. "Keep them." Orihime pushed his hand away. "I want you to ask me again so other time."

Ichigo smirked and pushed them back down in his pocket. "I'll hold you to that."

**…**

Tamotsu held up a picture for his mother to see.

"Look mommy! It's the stars! Just like in the sky!"

"That's great Tamotsu. Really good…" Orihime turned the page of the _50,000 Baby Names_ book. The more and more she looked at all of the names, the more her head began to hurt.

Ichigo handed her a cup of warm. "I think I can get Kisuke to help us get an appointment with Yoruichi."

Orihime groaned and threw the book to her side. "That would be nice."

Ichigo picked up the mail that fell on the ground from the mail slot and flipped through them. He didn't finish looking through them all before the phone rang and he placed the mail on the coffee table.

"Hello? Orihime is here." He handed her the phone.

Orihime put the warm cup on the table next to her. "Hello?"

"Orihime? It's Michiru! You need to get down to the bakery right now!"

Orihime sighed. They had tried _everything_. The bank wouldn't dare give them another loan and Orihime refused Ichigo's help in any way or form. It would be too much to ask if the girls took money out of their own pockets. Orihime just assumed that when she was gone for the past month that the ladies had given up. "…Sure."

"Oh I'm so excited!" Orihime could just picture Michiru bouncing up and down in place.

The line died.

"Do you know what's going on?" Ichigo took the phone from her.

Her husband shrugged. "I have no idea what they're doing down there."

**…**

"Hello Ms. Kuchiki, how are you this fine evening?" The man smiled. He had a long face; he was aged, but not too old, just old enough to know he's been in the business awhile.

Rukia folded her arms. "I've been better."

"My name is detective Kato. And that's detective Akihiko." He pointed to the man on the other side of the room. Rukia honestly didn't notice him. Detective Kato smiled wider. "He doesn't bite."

Rukia was not amused. They confiscated her phone and her wallet, then they stuck her in a tiny metal box of a room with three chairs, one table, and a mirror for a wall which she knew for a fact that other detectives were watching her every move. And now they were "interrogating" her. Why? She had no idea.

Kato brought her back to the present. "Rukia…" he lifted a brow. "May I call you that?"

Rukia nodded. She relaxed and unfolded her arms, though she knew that every movement she made was being written down somewhere.

"Rukia, do you know why you're here?"

She wrapped her fingers around the sides of her chair. "No. I don't."

"Rukia Kuchiki..." He leaned forward. "Are you familiar with the term embezzling?"

"Embezzling!" She couldn't believe her hears.

Kato lifted his hand. "Now, now... There's no reason to get so upset-"

"You think I'm embezzling from the company?" Rukia gritted her teeth and squeezed the sides of her chair letting the metal invade the soft skin on her fingers. "From my brother?!"

Kato crossed his legs and considered. "I don't know…" He frowned and Rukia didn't know it was possible but his face seemed to become longer with the new expression. "We have more than enough evidence..."

Akihiko's voice came out of the blue. "We have paper work, documents, written notes by you stating how much money the Kuchiki Brand makes, how they won't miss a dollar or two." He turned his chair around and sat on it the opposite way. "We even have a receipt of how much you spend on the company credit card."

"What! What- I want my lawyer!" She looked from face to face. They were lying. They had to be. There were no notes, no documents… maybe there were a few receipts from hotel rooms but she'd never steal, ever.

"Ruk-"

She stomped her foot. "Now!"

She knew her rights.

They stood and walked out, leaving her in the room. They'd come back telling her she could make her calls.

But who would she call?

Not Byakuya. He wouldn't help. Not now, not ever.

She couldn't call Renji. They didn't even speak anymore.

Ever since she began working with Byakuya, all of her connections, her friends, her family, Unohana and Ukitake… everyone was cut off.

Everyone except…

She couldn't, wouldn't call Ichigo. He's done enough and paid for it more than she has. She wouldn't call anyone… She needed to face this punishment even if she wasn't guilty. But she was guilty for so much more.

Rukia sat up straight and took a deep breath. She didn't need anyone's help.

Not even Ichigo's.

**…**

Ichigo parked the car outside of the small building.

Orihime sighed.

Ichigo looked at the bakery. "I'm pretty sure it's not that bad in there."

She folded her arms over her enlarged belly and harrumphed. "I'm pretty sure it isn't that great either."

"Hey. At least they're trying." He turned to look at her. "They're trying for you."

Orihime stared at the building. There was brown paper covering the windows, blocking any view of the inside.

"Are we going to bake a cake, mommy?" Tamotsu asked from his car seat.

Ichigo squeezed her shoulder. "You ready to go in?"

She took a deep breath. "…Fine."

With heavy feet and a painful head, Orihime opened the door to her old bakery. She gasped when she looked up. "What happened here?!"

Michiru peaked around the corner and smiled. "Ryō! She's here!"

The place was completely different. The walls were repainted, there were new tables and chairs and –oh! There were new displays!

Tamotsu sat on one the chairs and folded his hands. The child smiled but it slowly faded… He remembered eating chocolate cake... He remembered when Mister made him laugh… But no… no. Mommy said that Mister didn't exist… Mister doesn't exist…

"I, Ryō and my new boyfriend, Setsuko, helped clean the place! All of the new editions were ordered..."

Orihime blinked a few times. The last time she had stepped foot in the building, it was in shambles. But now… now it was… almost perfect. "…Huh?"

Ichigo chuckled at her confusion. It was adorable.

Michiru grabbed her hand and guided her around the room. "These are new displays," she patted the counter. "And the money from our account paid for the new windows. And it also paid for this new expensive wallpaper and tables and chairs and-"

"Wait-" Orihime shook her head. "What money?"

Ryō spoke up. "I went to the bank a few weeks back and I needed to know how much was in the account so we could start on the repairs…" She flipped her dark hair over her shoulder. "Well… guess how much was in there?"

Orihime held her head to keep the room from spinning. She tried to remember the last time she checked the account. "I don't know… A few hundreds?"

Michiru shook her head and her cheeks filled with air before she blurted the answer out. "Ten thousand dollars!"

"What? Ichigo! I said not to help! I told you this!" Orihime turned around angrily and hit Ichigo on the shoulder but regretted it because she knew that the spot was still healing from the bullet wound. She brought her hands up and over her mouth andher breath caught. "I'm so sorry!"

The man rubbed the spot that she hit and shook his head, amused at the strength she gained. "I'm fine… But it wasn't me. I had no hand in this… Ow."

"It's a real miracle, it is!" Michiru clapped her hands. "Can you believe it?"

…Miracle? Tamotsu shook his head. That Michiru was so weird…

"Michiru! We have to give this money back." Orihime looked around the newly refurbished room. "Ryō! This is stealing!"

"Orihime, why can't you recognize a good thing when it's right in front of you?" Michiru tugged on her arm and pulled her into the kitchen. There was a new counter top and the kitchenware she saw on the shopping channel that Orihime had been dying to get. She quickly shook her head before she could become wrapped up in the decadence. "The bank could have easily transferred the money into the wrong account."

Ryō shook her head. "Nope, I asked the teller and she said that someone who withheld their identity placed the money in the account. She said that they didn't want us to know who they were."

Tamotsu walked into the kitchen and stared up at those grownups. Mommy's stomach was bigger. Daddy's face was thinner. Miss Michiru's face was red and Miss Ryō's face was the same as ever. Upset.

He was tired of them talking. That's all what grownups do. Talk. He wanted to do something fun.

"Let's bake, mommy!" Tamotsu walked to the counter that he couldn't see over but he stood there until he caught someone's attention.

"This makes no sense." Orihime looked at the man standing behind her. "Ichigo, please tell me the truth."

Ichigo still shook his head. "I already told you… Maybe someone who loved your wonderful baking gave you the money."

Tamotsu was plenty upset when they had to leave. They walked up the stairs to the "office". It was empty but he remembered sitting in there and drawing in there. If he ever gets another chance, he'll draw mommy a picture for her new office.

Ichigo buckled Tamotsu down in his car seat and smiled at his son. "What's wrong champ?"

Tamotsu lifted a brow. Why do grownups always think something's wrong? And even if something was wrong, he knew daddy wasn't going to listen.

"Ichigo…" Orihime watched Ichigo walk around the car and into his seat in the front. "Do you think it was him?"

The man pulled down his seatbelt. "Who?"

Orihime shook her head. It was a foolish thought. "Never mind…"

"No, no. Say it again." Ichigo started the car.

"… I said, do you think it was…" Orihime glanced at Tamotsu. _"…Him_…?"

Her husband scowled. It was briefly funny to Orihime that Ichigo knew exactly who she was talking about. "Now why would he do something like this for you?"

She nodded at the reassurance. "You're right…"

Ichigo kneaded the knot that formed in his shoulder from the brief pain before beginning to drive. "Well, whoever it was really cares."

"Yeah…" Orihime looked over her own shoulder at Tamotsu again. He was staring out of the window. His brown eyes trained on anything and everything that went by. Wondering and asking questions in that spongy brain of his.

He looked just like his father.

"…They really care."

**…**

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

Gin took a deep breath.

He mustn't get upset. Keep your composure, keep you calm… _Fuck!_

He said he would wait!

Gin cursed under his breath. He was sitting in his office, hands folded, mind in a zillion different places.

She wasn't supposed to go yet.

Rukia Kuchiki going to jail early would only result in the downfall of his plans.

Gin leaned back in his car. He pulled one of the drawers open and brought out a picture. It was his Rangiku. She was winking and blowing a kiss. It was his favorite picture of her…

Gin balled the photo in his fist.

Everything was lined up perfectly.

…He would just have to work around this little nub, like he's worked around many others before.

Maybe he should pay her a little visit… Yeah, he'll do that.

He'll pay Rukia just a tiny little visit…

Thin lips stretched themselves over sharp, white teeth.

* * *

**Later that night.**

* * *

"Where do babies come from?"

Orihime stopped chewing at her granola bar and looked to Ichigo who was even more stunned than she was.

Ichigo cleared his throat. "… Well, Tamotsu… Babies come from the mommies."

Tamotsu looked at Orihime who was sitting on the sofa. She was praying that he wouldn't ask any more questions.

He looked back at his father. "How does the baby get inside mommy?"

Ichigo scratched his head, hoping that the child would drop the subject and continue playing with stupid orange lion plushie. What the hell did they name that toy? Kon? "What do you mean champ?"

Why weren't those grownups getting it? Tamotsu turned around on the rug to face them both. "The baby wasn't there before…?"

Orihime smiled sweetly. "No, it wasn't Monkey."

He scrunched up his nose and gave it a little wiggle in frustration before asking the same question. "So how did the baby get in there in the first place?"

Ichigo looked at Orihime for some type of rescue but Orihime was as clueless as he was. Tamotsu was becoming impatient.

Ichigo tapped Orihime belly bump. "Um… Mommy is, well, mommy is a garden... And sometimes… during mommy's special time of the month, she'll drop a seed… And when we both feel good, and she'll let me, I'll water it for her..." Orihime smiled at him in encouragement but Ichigo felt ridiculous in his backwards explanation of sex. "Then the seed grows and becomes a baby and it lives in her belly."

Tamotsu stood up. He walked over and touch mommy's belly. It squirmed inside but Tamotsu was used to it. "Does the baby come out?"

Orihime chewed on her bottom lip. "Well, yes."

He stared up at his mother. "How does it come out?"

Ichigo laughed uneasily. "Sometimes… um, well, champ… Tamotsu, how do you think the baby comes out?"

Tamotsu looked at his body. He lifted his shirt and held it up with his chin and pointed at his belly button. "Does the baby come out through here?"

Orihime giggled. "No, Monkey. The baby comes out through a different… button. A button only woman, girls, like mommy have."

Ichigo stepped in. "Only mommies can have babies, Tamotsu."

The child cocked his head to the side. "Was I a baby?"

The phone rang and Ichigo stood to go get it.

"Yes!" Orihime threw her arms around the boy and pulled him onto the sofa with her. She gave him kisses and tickles everywhere. "That's why you're my little BabyCakes!" Orihime gave him an Eskimo kiss.

Ichigo placed the phone back in its base and walked back to the sofa.

"Who was it?" Orihime asked. He shrugged and said it was a sales rep selling electronics of some sort.

"Mommy! Mommy, tickle me!" Tamotsu smiled and waited for the sensation to start up again.

Orihime looked at the time. "It's way past your bedtime mister!"

"I'll take him up," Ichigo offered. He took Tamotsu by the waist and led him up stairs.

"But daddy! I'm not sleepy!" Tamotsu complained on his way up.

Ichigo somehow managed to clean him up and get him ready for bed. "How about we play a game."

Tamotsu got under the covers. "Really?"

Ichigo crawled onto the bed with his son. "It's called sheets and blankets." He lay on his side and watched Tamotsu pull the blankets up to his stomach. "Wanna know how you play?" Tamotsu nodded. "Whoever goes to sleep last wins."

Tamotsu clapped. "Okay!"

It wasn't long before the quiet began to take a toll on him. Tamotsu's eyes were closing and Ichigo watched it happen.

"Am I winning?" The child asked.

"Mhmm." Ichigo responded.

Tamotsu yawned and snuggled down in the sheets. His dark lashes lightly brushed his cheeks and his breathing was even and steady. He looked peaceful and calm.

But he didn't look like Ichigo.

Ichigo frowned. Ichigo said he wasn't going to torture himself. He said he wasn't going to do this. When he left Tamotsu and Orihime it was the worst thing he could have ever done for himself. He felt completely empty. There was no reason for him to get up in the morning. Everything he does he does for his wife and son…

But Tamotsu was not his son. He knew this. Everyone knew this. But it was time he stopped denying it…

Tamotsu was not his'…

He was not his blood...

Not his' at all…

**…**

Downstairs, Orihime picked up Kon and smiled at the tiny toy. She remembered buying it and the expression on Ichigo's face was priceless. Orihime giggled at the tiny memory and placed the plushie on the coffee table. In result, some mail fell down.

Haven't looked through the day's mail, Orihime picked up the envelopes and rifled through them slowly. It was mostly junk mail aside from the bills to pay and a few catalogues that Orihime must remember to look at.

The woman opened a baby magazine and her eyes widened with delight. "That looks nice…" she whispered to herself.

The woman tucked the magazine under her arm and flipped a envelope over to see the return address.

"Oh my God…"

She dropped the rest of the mail and brought one envelope under the light. "No…"

**…**

"I'm still… I'm, I'm… not… sleep-y…" Tamotsu whispered though it was obvious that his eyes and body was shutting down.

Ichigo smirked at the child's attempt to stay awake.

"Ichigo…?" The man looked up to see his pregnant wife in the doorway. He couldn't see her face but by the sound of her voice, something had gone wrong.

Ichigo took his time off of the bed so he wouldn't wake Tamotsu.

"What's wrong?" He walked her to their bedroom and turned on the lights.

Orihime's cheeks were wet and he could see fresh tears rolling down. "He's… he's… he's taking us back…." She handed him a paper. "He's taking us back to court."

Ichigo read it over. "It's a summons…"

"He wants him again." Orihime rest her head on his warm chest and cried into it. "Ichigo… Ichigo I don't think I can go through this again… I can't…" She grasped his shirt. "He's being so unfair… I shouldn't have to share what's mine…"

Orihime immediately stopped her sobbing. She leaned off of him and looked at his face. He wasn't looking at her, but at the wall. His lips were a compressed line and his brow was furrowed in deep concentration.

She blinked. "What did you just say?"

"I think everyone is entitled to fight for their own child…"

Her heart sped up. "What?"

"I just think that-"

Orihime shook her head and back away from him. "No… No. You can't say that… Tamotsu… Tamotsu is your son… You want Aizen to take that right from you?"

The orange haired man frowned deeper. "Is my place to take that right from him?!"

She exhaled and stared up at him disbelievingly. "I can't believe you…"

Ichigo stepped forward. "You slept with Aizen… you were the one who got pregnant…" Ichigo ran a hand through his hair. "We have to face the facts. Tamotsu… Tamotsu is not my s-"

Orihime pushed him on his chest. "Don't say that!"

Ichigo sat down on their bed. "What do you want me to say? I mean, I can't keep living this lie..." He licked his dry lips. "I don't want to hurt your feelings, Orihime. That's not what I'm trying to do." He looked at his frantic wife. She was breathing hard and holding her belly. "I want you to understand that this man has a right."

"You not supposed to say that." Their eyes connected. "You're supposed to say 'We'll beat 'em! We'll win!' That's what you're supposed to say…"

He put his fingers to his temples and rubbed out the pain. "…Orihime… Every time I look at him…" he paused. "I… I see someone else…"

Orihime cried some more, defeated. Ichigo was right. Tamotsu wasn't his son. Tamotsu was part of her and Aizen, but not her and Ichigo. "You aren't supposed to say that…" she whispered once more through the tears.

Ichigo stood, took her hand and clutched it close to his chest. "I love him like my own and I'll continue to love him. This won't change the way I feel for Tamotsu. But I cannot keep going like this. And I cannot judge him…"

"They're going to take him from me..." Orihime shook her head. "He wants custody…"

Ichigo wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. "It's going to be alright…"

* * *

**We haven't heard from Aizen in a while and know he's taken them back to court. He's a man who knows what he wants and goes for it.**

**And I'd like to thank all of you guys who've reviewed and favorited and alerted this story. It really means a lot! All of you are stars!**

**Rocka.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N**: So this is probably my favorite chapter yet. It's in Tamotsu's POV, and I just can't get enough of that little kid. He's inspired by my baby nephew, AJ.

**Disclaimer**: We all know that I don't own Bleach so why do I have to type it every time? It's just crushing my little heart!

* * *

Orihime kissed him on the forehead a few more times. "Mommy loves you! Okay?"

"I know…" Tamotsu whispered.

She patted his dark brown hair down and rubbed his cheeks. "God, you need a haircut," she said to herself out loud.

Tamotsu was becoming restless as all of his other classmates ran inside while his mommy was still giving him kisses. He shifted from foot to foot impatiently.

"Mommy…" Tamotsu whined and looked around the parking lot once more to see it clearing out.

Orihime fixed the buttons on his sweater and plucked a few pieces of lint off the shoulders. "Tamotsu I want you to have a good day-"

"Mommy…"

"-and listen to your teacher, please!"

Tamotsu huffed. "Mommy, I have to go!"

Orihime looked up to see the parking lot empty. "…Oh…" She stood. "Well… I'll see you later, Monkey."

Tamotsu turned on his heels and walked towards the building.

Orihime waved once more. "Bye Monkey!"

Tamotsu mumbled a "bye" and opened the door to his preschool.

Orihime continued waving until she couldn't see him anymore. Her smile soon became a frown. Orihime could have sworn Tamotsu heard her and Ichigo's argument the other night. He had been giving her the cold shoulder all morning and Orihime couldn't wrap her head around it… Orihime rocked on her heels. Maybe her little Monkey was growing up…

The baby squirmed in her belly. She was becoming more active nowadays.

Ichigo told her not to worry about the custody battle. He said that she should focus more on the baby and her pregnancy. Ichigo said he'd set up an appointment with Yoruichi and he told her to just think about all the ultrasound pictures they'll have.

Ichigo told her to just enjoy the calm. Enjoy the quiet. He said they'll get past it again and not every road is smooth. Their family just had more bumps than normal.

The woman returned to her car.

**…**

Tamotsu placed his jacket in his cubby and hung his book bag on the opposite hook.

"Kurosaki!"

The child looked up to see Miss Haruguchi standing over him.

"Kurosaki, why are you late?"

"My mommy-"

She clapped three times and Tamotsu immediately quieted down. She placed her hands on her bony hips. "Now, get to your table with the others so we can start our lesson!"

"But-"

"Butts are for sitting young man! And no talking back, because I'll always win."

Tamotsu let his head drop and walked away from the horrid woman._ Because I'll always win_. He'll show her who wins.

The other children were laughing and talking about things Tamotsu had no interest in.

What he was truly interested in was why mommy was always arguing with daddy.

Last night they said this word… It didn't sound good… _Custody_ didn't sound good.

Tamotsu loved daddy and he loved mommy, but mommy was always crying. She was always upset. Maybe it was daddy who always made her upset. That made Tamotsu upset. It made him mad at daddy.

He even tried giving mommy a cookie… well… it was a picture of a cookie, but a cookie all the same.

Maybe he should try-

"Umf!" Tamotsu fell to the ground after bumping his head on something very hard. He rubbed his head to keep the hurt out.

"Ouch!" A tiny voice said.

Tamotsu opened his eyes to find a girl he's never seen before, rubbing her forehead vigorously.

She had short brown and was kicking her legs in the air from the pain. She wore pink and green sneakers and every time they hit the floor, the sides would light up. "Oow!" she whined.

Tamotsu blinked and stared at the girl. She has never been in his class before…

"Everyone," Miss Haruguchi clapped. "Get to your seats- Kurosaki, what are you doing down there?" She grabbed Tamotsu and the girl and lifted them off of the carpet.

Tamotsu looked back at the girl who was now staring up at their teacher.

"…I was just-"

"Never mind that! Get to your seat."

Tamotsu frowned and walked to his table with the rest of his classmates.

"Now class, we have a new student today. Her name is Misoka Kobayashi." She let the class soak her in with her short, sandy brown hair and big greenish-blue eyes. "Misoka, will you tell the class one special thing about you?"

Misoka's orbs widened. Her chest began to move up and down rapidly and Tamotsu could see the fear in her eyes.

She squeaked.

The class giggled. Tamotsu didn't.

Miss Haruguchi clapped her pasty hands together. "Now, now, class, quiet down." She smiled back down at the frightened child. "Misoka, how about you try again. And this time speak up."

Misoka nodded and swallowed.

"My name is Misoka... I like math and numbers…"

"Bravo, Misoka!" This time, Miss Haruguchi clapped in encouragement. "Here, we love numbers!"

Tamotsu scowled. The boy loved numbers. He loved counting and he loved math, but Miss Haruguchi could manage to turn something so wonderful into a robotic assembly filled with ignorant children and drone filled voices.

"Misoka, will you please sit by that young man right there." Miss Haruguchi pointed right at Tamotsu.

The girl walked to his table and Tamotsu scooted over to make room.

Miss Haruguchi told them to take out their copybooks and went on and on about the curve of a G.

She stood at the chalkboard and showed the class what she was talking about. "You don't want to close the G all the way because then it will look like an O or a Q…"

Tamotsu wasn't paying attention. He already knew his letters. Every night, mommy would show him a different letter and he had to repeat it.

Instead, he was looking at that new girl. She was sitting right next to him. She wasn't paying attention either but was coloring on the edge of her copybook.

What was she drawing...? There was a curve, then another curve… it was… it was…

"Flower…" Tamotsu whispered.

Misoka glanced at him.

Tamotsu blushed. Her eyes were so… different.

She went about her business and continued her artwork.

Miss Haruguchi turned around from the board and caught Tamotsu staring at the girl.

"Kurosaki!" Tamotsu looked at the old woman. "Pay attention please…" Miss Haruguchi considered. "Misoka, what does this spell?"

"Grass." Misoka said without looking at the board.

"Very good, Misoka!" Miss Haruguchi went on explaining the G sound and what other words four letter words start with G.

Tamotsu was the only one in class who was able to follow along without looking at the board… This girl is definitely different. "That's a pretty flower." He whispered to her.

She looked back up at him and stopped her drawing. "Thank you. My granny taught me."

Tamotsu lifted a brow. "Granny… What about your mommy?"

She blinked. "…I don't have one…"

"Remember that G can make many sounds…"

The boy cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged. "I don't have a mommy."

"What about a daddy?"

She shook her head.

Tamotsu couldn't understand it.

"…Like _germ_ and _grass_ sound different but start with the same letter…"

"Doesn't your granny teach you?" she asked him.

Tamotsu smirked. "I don't have one."

It looked as if she wanted to gasp. "Why?"

It was Tamotsu's turn to shrug. "But I have a mommy and a daddy and a grandpa."

"I have a grandpa too, but not a mommy and daddy." Misoka went back to her flower. She sat up again and asked him another question. "So who teaches you how to draw?"

Tamotsu buffed up his chest and smirked again. "No one, I learn myself!"

Miss Haruguchi turned away from the board. "Kurosaki, if I have to tell you one more time to quiet down and pay attention, I'll send you to time out!"

Tamotsu deflated in defeat.

Misoka giggled.

Something inside the boy fluttered then. It was like a bunch of tiny bells went off when she giggled like that.

Tamotsu vowed that he'd make her do it again by the end of the day.

**…**

Ichigo got a call last night from a surprising person...

It was Renji telling him that Rukia was in jail and Byakuya would have his head if he got involved.

It didn't tell Orihime about it. He wouldn't tell Orihime about it. He has had enough of pulling his family into the drama.

Ichigo dialed the number to the police department that was holding her.

"Can I speak to someone in booking, please?"

The officer cradled the phone between her ear and shoulder. "Sure, give me one minute."

Ichigo was transferred to another line where he asked the office how much it would be to bail Rukia Kuchiki.

"Kuchiki Rukia?" The man looked through the bookings. "She was bailed this morning."

Bailed? Someone bailed her out already?

"Thank you." Ichigo pressed end and dialed Ishida's number.

"No, no, no." Ishida shook his head. "You'll be mentioned I the media a few times about the affair but it'll die off. If she's in the spotlight because of some overrated family drama, let her deal with it. You've dragged this company's name through the mud enough."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. Leave it to Ishida to be an asshole. "Look, Uryū, I feel as though something's up. It doesn't feel right."

Ishida scoffed. "What doesn't feel right to you, feels perfectly fine to me. Don't get your panties in a twist, Kurosaki. Especially over a woman who isn't even your wife."

Ichigo chewed on his top lip. "She's an amazing friend."

"That's not the point." Ishida knew he would make excuses.

"I get what you're saying-"

"Let it go, Kurosaki." Ishida scribbled a few notes on his pad and sat up in his chair. "It isn't worth it. Not anymore." He moved the phone to his other ear. "Go home, Kurosaki. Spend some time with Orihime. She needs you the most."

**…**

"Alrighty, kiddies! It's circle time!" Miss Haruguchi clapped her hands and the children all mindlessly ran to the colorful ABC carpet in the middle of the room.

Tamotsu looked up from his artwork and at the rollicking buffoons. He looked down at his crayon and read the color. "Ter_… _terk_… turquoise_…" he whispered to himself.

Miss Haruguchi waved him over. "Come on, Kurosaki. Don't be shy."

Tamotsu slowly put his crayon down and took his time walking over to the rest of the kids.

Sitting pretzel style, the children watched as their teacher made weird sounds and faces that they all had to imitate.

Only his mother could make a funny face and he would laugh. Anyone else just looked strange.

"Okay, so now we'll all count up to the number forty, together." Miss Haruguchi smiled.

They all started in unison. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve….."

Miss Haruguchi walked around the outside of the circle watching every child's face, helping them along if their pronunciation wasn't on point.

"Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen-"

Miss Haruguchi stopped. A rigid smile slid on her old face. "… Kurosaki, I mean, Tamotsu… Why aren't you counting…?"

The children and Misoka stopped their rambling.

Tamotsu looked up at the woman with big, brown, innocent eyes, though he was far from it. "I already know these numbers, Miss Haruguchi."

She placed her hands on her knees and hunched over him. "But, Tamotsu, that does not excuse you from doing what you are told," Her smile dropped and her voice deepened threateningly. "Now count."

Tamotsu squint his eyes at her. They continued to stare each other down until Tamotsu finally stood. He folded his hands in front of him and closed his eyes.

"Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty…" Tamotsu didn't stop, even after he reached forty.

"Tamotsu…" Miss Haruguchi watched as Tamotsu continued his counting. "Tamotsu, that's enough now."

The students were laughing uncontrollably as Tamotsu reached two hundred. Even Misoka giggled a few times which boosted the boy's confidence to the roof.

"Two hundred and thirty-one. Two hundred and thirty-two, two hundred and thirty-three…"

The old lady stomped her foot. "Tamotsu! I said that was enough!"

He continued.

"If you don't stop, I'll… I'll put you in time out!"

"Three hundred and eighty-eight, three hundred and eighty-nine, three hundred and ninety, three hundred and ninety-one…."

Miss Haruguchi walked over to her desk and dialed a number on her phone that was becoming way too familiar.

"Hello, Mrs. Kurosaki? Hi… unfortunately, no. We are having circle time and he took it upon himself to continue on counting to," Miss Haruguchi turned and looked at the counting boy.

"Four hundred and six, four hundred and seven, four hundred and eight…"

"To four hundred and ten! ... Well, no…. Would you like to speak with him...? …Fine." Miss Haruguchi walked through the circle and got down to the shouting Tamotsu's level. "Tamotsu, your mother is on the phone."

Tamotsu stopped counting and placed the phone on his ear. "Hi mommy! ….I am being a good boy! ... I'm only doing what you told me to do…" He looked up at Miss Haruguchi. "You told me next time to count to five hundred... Yes mommy." Tamotsu handed the phone back to his teach and kept on counting.

"… You want me to what?! I can't allow him to continue disturbing my class… Yes, I understand that… why does he deserve-… I do not want to have to remind you that I am on the last straw-… Yes. Fine."

After three more minutes of incessant numbering, he finally stopped.

"Four hundred and ninety-eight, four hundred and ninety-nine… Five hundred!"

Miss Haruguchi took a big breath. "Thank you, Tamotsu. How wonderful of you to count to five hundred for us…"

Tamotsu smirked and sat back down on the carpet. He snuck a glance at Misoka who looked thoroughly impressed.

He won.

**…**

Orihime hug the phone up and went back to the kitchen counter.

Tamotsu was acting strange… Orihime picked up a knife. She didn't know if he was acting out because of his age or if it was because she was pregnant.

She read online that children Tamotsu's age begin starving for attention because they know something is going to alter their life like a baby.

Orihime sliced an apple in half, turned it on its side and sliced it again then placed the snack on a small plate.

Either way, Orihime did notice that she and Ichigo weren't giving Tamotsu as much attention as before. Maybe it was because he felt left out.

The pregnant woman walked into the room and eased down onto her couch.

Her and Ichigo's relationship was weird… at the moment. It was routine. She'd wake up, make breakfast, give him a kiss, feed the men in her life, watch him leave, pick up and drop Tamotsu, make dinner, kiss him before bed and repeat.

They never spoke about the other woman, Rukia. It was… a mutual acceptance between the two. Yes, they've both lied and done some terrible things against their better judgment, but if Ichigo didn't love her, then he would have left her. And vise versa.

The commercial break was over and a woman with an extremely tight cocktail dress appeared gossiping about the recent news.

"_The lofty Rukia Kuchiki was recently caught in a steaming affair with the audacious Ichigo Kurosaki. She was arrested yesterday morning for being accused of embezzling from her family's prestigious investment company, Kuchiki Brand, run by her adoptive brother, Byakuya Kuchiki."_

They brought up two pictures, one of Rukia, the other of Byakuya. They were both entering a car, almost blocked by what looked like a bodyguard.

The woman smiled though the news was far from happy. _"Rukia was bailed out of jail this morning and will be making a public apology statement later on this week."_

Orihime picked up the remote, changed the channel and flipped through shows but stopped at _America's Funniest Home Videos_. A dog in a party-hat was chasing its own tail. It stood on its hind legs and tipped over. It was drunk.

Orihime shook her head in disappointment. At least Ichigo wasn't mentioned in the news as much as she thought he would.

_That still doesn't make it right._

"I know…" Orihime whispered out loud. "But this is as good as it gets from here…" She sighed and looked down at her ever growing belly. "Isn't that right?"

Orihime could see her squeamish movements through her loose shirt.

It hit her then... She was having a baby. She was having another baby after everyone told her that she couldn't have Ichigo's child.

They said that their bodies weren't compatible. And they said that it would never work.

They said they should give up.

But after worrying and obsessing and crying for days on end and… well, being unfaithful..., she was finally pregnant with _Ichigo's_ baby, having _Ichigo's_ baby.

A baby girl.

She always wanted a girl. A boy was fine and Tamotsu was an angel but it was a girl that always made her giddy with happiness.

Orihime couldn't stop the giggle that rose up inside of her. The being inside of her moved. "You like it when I laugh, don't you?"

No response.

"Your daddy likes it when I laugh…" Orihime sighed. She couldn't wait for the two to meet. It was going to be very special.

Outside, Ichigo drove up into the driveway. He parked the car and got out. He took Ishida up on his offer and was coming home earlier than usual. He wanted to surprise Orihime. He didn't get to see her that morning because he left for work before she woke.

"You'll like him..." Orihime stirred up an image of Ichigo in her head. "He's tall and smart and he has a really big smile, when you can get him to smile… He likes castella and pot-roast… and pizza… a lot of pizza. He can eat a whole two boxes on his own if you let him."

Ichigo quietly opened and closed the door. He saw his wife sitting cross legged on the sofa, tapping her forefinger on her bottom lip. Ichigo loved it when she did that.

"...But he can't cook at all. Though I couldn't cook once…" Orihime crumbled her brow and frowned. "There was this terrible dinner party we had and I made squid and everyone ended up getting sick…" She sighed again. "He wasn't mad at me though… I just had to learn from my mistakes…"

Ichigo didn't show himself. He wanted her to continue.

Orihime lifted her hands above her head as if the baby could see what she was describing. "He has this really spiky orange hair. If he sits out in the sun for too long it'll become very bright and it's hard to look at him because he looks like the sun..." Orihime lowered her hands and chafed her arms in memory. "…His body is warm. I could be freezing down to my toes and all he has to do is give me a hug to warm me up."

Ichigo bit the inside of his lip to keep from bursting in laughter. If he could, he'd hug her for every second of everyday and never let go.

"He's very sarcastic and funny…" Orihime smiled the sweetest smile Ichigo believed to ever grace her face. Orihime was simply sitting, talking to her unborn child, and yet she managed to make it the most beautiful scene he's ever seen. "…He has never made fun of me… And every time we have a serious discussion that we might end up arguing about, he'll agree to disagree with me, which is extremely frustrating…" Ichigo watched her hand return to her swollen belly. "He's a good man. You'll love him. He'll hold you and kiss you and smile for you and only you which I can only get him to do…"

No response.

Orihime looked down. "Do you hear me down there?"

No response.

Ichigo thought it time for him to show himself. He walked out into the light of the living room. "Hey."

Orihime jumped and caught her breath. "Ichigo!" Why was he home? It was way too early! Tamotsu's day at preschool wasn't over yet. Tamotsu would be at recess right about now.

Ichigo placed his briefcase on the ground, strode over to Orihime, kissed her on the mouth and sat down next to her on the couch.

Orihime blinked a few times, not knowing if he was really in her presence. "Why-why are you here…?"

Ichigo sighed as he relaxed on the couch, half resting his head on her shoulder and half sprawled across the cushions. "I took a sick day." He craned to look up at her confused face. "I'm glad I did."

Ichigo took in the way she chewed the inside of her cheek. What was she afraid of? It's not like he got a peek at some of her intimate thoughts of him?

"There's no point in asking if you heard all of that, is there?" she finally said.

Ichigo didn't look up from the television. "Heard what?" he asked innocently.

Orihime blinked again. "Nothing."

The grinning man sat up. "How about I make us some lunch?"

"Oh…" Orihime looked at her untouched sliced apples. "Sure."

Ichigo grinned wider. "You don't have to look scared. I'll just make some sandwiches…" He walked into the kitchen and called behind him: "It's not like I'm going to make squid."

**…**

"Its recess time, everyone... Just… just go outside. No pushing!" Miss Haruguchi made her way to her desk and plopped down on the chair.

"That boy is working my last nerve…" she mumbled.

Tamotsu didn't leave with the other children. He could care less about taking turns on the swings or being lifted up and down on the see-saw. If he wanted to go to the park and go on the slide, his mommy would take him when he asked politely. And that was enough for him.

But certain words keep on playing round and round in his head.

He left the table and walked up to Miss Haruguchi's desk.

She was scribbling something on a piece of paper. The pressure was enough to rip a whole in the document.

"Miss Haruguchi?"

The older woman nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard her name being called. She leaned over the desk and saw two big brown eyes staring back up at her.

"…Kurosaki- I mean, Tamotsu…? Why aren't you out with the rest of the children?"

"I want to ask you a question."

Miss Haruguchi rolled her eyes. "What is it now?"

"What does custody mean?"

Tamotsu heard his mommy say it last night. She was crying and she was sad. She was saying that someone was going to try to take him somewhere. Tamotsu didn't want to be away from his mommy.

Miss Haruguchi gasped silently. "…Tamotsu… are your parents going through a hard time?"

Tamotsu just stared back at her.

She put her pen down and folded her hands. "Are they arguing all of the time?"

Tamotsu nodded reluctantly.

"Do you go into large buildings with men in suits?"

Tamotsu remembered when he went into a large building with mommy and daddy… He remembered seeing a room with many chairs and a man on a tall block of wood with a hammer… He nodded his shaggy head.

"Come here."

Tamotsu walked around her large wooden desk and over to her knees.

She looked down at him with a weird smile on her face, almost like she was forcing it.

"Have you heard of the word divorce?"

Tamotsu shook his head.

"…Well… After all of what your parents have been through… With the magazines, and publicity, and all of the other things going on… I think your parents are getting what is called a divorce."

"Divorce?"

"It is when the mommy and the daddy don't like each other anymore. They don't live with each other or talk to each other."

He didn't understand. Mommy and daddy already do that… sometimes. Sometimes they don't.

"You won't live in one house. You'll live in two."

"Not with grandpa?"

Miss Haruguchi shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. You'll live with one parent and then the other. But not at the same time."

"Oh…" Tamotsu looked down, soaking it all in, "okay."

Miss Haruguchi smiled, this time it was wholehearted. "Alrighty? Now go out to recess." She patted him on the head.

Tamotsu walked outside. His classmates were playing tag and climbing the jungle-gym and whatnot.

Tamotsu kicked on a loose rock that rested on the blacktop. The child strolled over to the giant, rubber, monster sized wheel that was wedged into the grass. Tamotsu sat inside of it and contemplated the situation.

His mommy and daddy were getting a divorce.

They weren't going to live in the same house again- ever.

They were going to like each other again- ever.

"Whatcha doing?"

Tamotsu yelped at the surprising voice. Misoka was sitting on top of the wheel, her head was hanging down and she peeped from the outside in with her greenish-blue eyes.

"Nothing…"

She jumped down and crawled into the wheel with him. "You look sad."

"That's because I am sad."

The duo stared each other down. "You're smarter than the others…" Misoka finally said.

Tamotsu took her in with her striped shirt and jeans. He remembered how fast she answered the question. "…So are you."

She grinned. She was missing a front tooth. "My grandpa teaches me."

Tamotsu touched his loose tooth. "What happened to your parents?"

She quickly averted her eyes.

"Did they get a divorce?" Tamotsu leaned forward, eyes wide.

"No!" She crawled out of the wheel and ran away. Tamotsu didn't mean to make her upset, so he ran after her.

"I'm sorry!" He shouted in the air. He couldn't find her amongst the throng of kids.

Tamotsu looked around the jungle-gym, under the picnic tables, and through the slide. She wasn't anywhere.

Tamotsu kicked at another rock. It rolled and rolled until it hit a familiar pair of light-up, pink and green sneakers.

Small shoulders and short, sandy brown hair was bobbing up and down. She was sobbing. Tamotsu walked up to her.

"I didn't mean to make you cry…" Tamotsu waited for her to turn around.

She didn't move but continued to cry.

Tamotsu frowned. "I said that I didn't mean to make you cry. I didn't know that you parents got a divorce."

She turned around and wiped at her puffy eyes. "They didn't have a 'divorce'… they died…"

Tamotsu knew what that word meant. "…Oh…"

Misoka shrugged. "It's okay… I don't remember them… What happened to your grandma?"

Tamotsu shrugged his shoulder too. "I don't know… I just don't have one…"

Tamotsu chewed on the inside of his cheek. He wanted to make Misoka laugh so she would never cry again. "Want to be my friend?"

The girl looked up at him skeptically. "Why?"

He lowered his eyes. "Because I'm about to lose my parents too…"

Tamotsu felt something warm wrap inside his hand. Misoka smiled at him.

He smiled back.

The two heard Miss Haruguchi call the children in.

Hand in hand, the duo ran back to their classroom.

As the class began to finger-paint, Tamotsu nudged Misoka with his elbow. "Misoka…"

Misoka looked up at him. "Hmm?"

Tamotsu thought about how daddy made mommy sad… Tamotsu looked into her greenish-blue eyes. He had come to the conclusion that they were turquoise. "Misoka, I promise I'll never make you cry again… never, ever."

Misoka nodded. "And I promise that I'll always be your friend." She leaned in and hug Tamotsu's astonished form. "Best friends."

…Tamotsu never had a best friend aside from Kon… So he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed tight. "Best friends…" he repeated in a whisper.

* * *

**Tamotsu is absolutely adorable. But the next chapter is about baby bonding, since we haven't had enough of that. And what is to come of this upcoming custody battle?**

**Rocka.**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: **So since we haven't been focusing on Orihime's baby, this chapter is all about her! ... Well, sorta. I think it's time we bonded with Orihime's unborn child.

~Also, sorry I didn't update last week. I am **not on hiatus**. There were some unfortunate technical difficulties with my laptop during Saturday-Monday and I decided that since I missed the deadline, I might as well update the next week. So here we are! Have fun kiddies!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach, but this story belongs to me.

* * *

**One week later.**

* * *

Orihime tried to resist but she knew it when she felt it. The pain came back and with it more of a strike, like lightning zapping through her abdomen. "…Tamotsu! Come down here, please!"

"But mommy!" Tamotsu huffed at his mother's vexing persistence. "We have to reach the top!"

"Tamotsu…" she said breathlessly. She leaned against the side of the jungle gym, clinging to the bars with a prayer that she wouldn't fall in front of the whole playground. "Come down here, right now, young man!"

The child hoped that once he arrived at the top that he could go down the twisty slide. But Tamotsu didn't want to disobey his mother, it pained him. But he wanted to reach the top! All the other kids did. Besides, his mommy never let him doing anything.

The pregnant woman gritted her teeth. "Tamotsu, if I have to call you down one more time…"

He stomped his foot angrily and blew out hot air. Tamotsu unhurriedly scooted down the low-set stairs. When he reached the bottom, his mother yanked him up and pinched his arm.

Tamotsu squeezed his eyes shut. "Ow-oooowwww!" He tugged his arm away but his mother roughly grabbed his arm again. "Mommy!"

Orihime never wanted to be one of those women who had no control over her children. As she tugged Tamotsu away, she avoided all eye contact with any nearby, disapproving mothers. "Next time, you come when I call." She said shakily. "Do you understand me?"

Tamotsu's bottom lip wobbled and he nodded his head reluctantly.

The golden haired woman stopped for a moment and placed her hand on her hip. The pain was subsiding again.

While she caught her breath, the child began to try to wiggle his way out of her grip. He needed to reach the top…

"Stop that, Tamotsu!" Orihime snatched his arm again before he could get away. "We're going home."

Tamotsu shrieked. "Noo! No!"

Orihime tried to pull him along, but he started to purposely lag behind. "Tamotsu, what has gotten into you?!" He screamed again as his arms and legs flew into the air.

And then, Orihime did what she never had to do before. What she hoped she never ever had to do.

It was over as quickly as it started and Tamotsu had never been so embarrassed before. He had never gotten two whacks on the bottom before.

As the pair walked home in silence, aside from the child's muffled sobs and absolute chagrin, he uttered: "I hate you!"

Orihime's heart immediately cracked in half.

**…**

"Do you think that was too harsh…?" She sat down at the kitchen table next to her husband and wiped her wet hands off onto her cloth. The rice she boiled wasn't exactly coming out perfect.

Ichigo glanced up from his laptop. "No. You handled the situation the best you could." He eased it down but didn't close it all the way. "He was being disobedient and you disciplined him with a good pinch, a slap on the butt and a time out." Ichigo opened his laptop again. "The perfect punishment."

"Ichigo…" Orihime rubbed her stretching stomach and looked back at her husband. "He said he hated me…"

Ichigo shrugged. "So what? He'll never do it again."

"'So what?'" Orihime pushed her burnt-orange hair behind her ears. "Where did he even learn that phrase?" She leaned over in her chair and looked through the opened door in the backroom. Tamotsu was standing with his face to the wall, arms crossed tightly.

She nibbled on her bottom lip. "… I think I should go talk to him-"

Ichigo sighed. "I think you asserted your dominance as the parent. The adult. Why apologize when he was naughty?" He typed away on his laptop and said, "I don't want to go easy on our kids, Orihime. I'm not raising disrespectful children."

"Me neither… but… he's only four…" Orihime looked across the table at her husband, then back at her son in the other room.

"…Ichigo, I want to know why he's acting this way… I think it's because of the baby. I want him to know that I won't forget about him…"

Ichigo looked up from his computer. His eyebrows pinched together over amber eyes. He opened his mouth but Orihime spoke before he could.

"I can't have him hate me… I just can't."

Ichigo sighed again, but in defeat. "…Alright. But this doesn't make him any less guilty."

Orihime nodded and heaved herself out of the kitchen chair. She opened the backroom's door wider and peeked inside. "…Tamotsu?"

His body posture tightened.

"Tamotsu?" Orihime stepped inside completely and crossed the room to other corner beside the dryer. "Are you still mad at me?" She leaned over to look at his face but he shifted sharply away from her.

He was still mad.

Orihime placed her hand on his back and ignored his attempts to shrug it away. "Now, don't be like that… You were acting up… and when I call you have to come. That's how it works."

"Humph!"

Orihime stifled a giggle. Even when he was upset he managed to look adorable. "I know… I'm just getting the hang of this parent thing too… But you know I'm trying my best."

Tamotsu slowly uncrossed his arms but to only wipe away the tears that came down suddenly.

"Aw, don't cry, Monkey." The woman took the child and tried her best to wrap him in her arms. "I'm not mad at you."

"Wa-why ca-ca-couldn't I re-ach the top?" He asked as he dug his face into her shirt.

Orihime rubbed large circles into his back and patted his shaggy hair. "Monkey, tell me why you wanted to reach the top so badly?"

"I-I wa-wanted to sta-stay up there… I da-didn't wa-want to-o-o come home…" His body shook and convulsed from the strength of his sobs.

"Why don't you like home?" Orihime lifted his chin so she could see into his brown eyes. "All your toys are here, and mommy and daddy are here."

He shook his head. "I da-don't want ta-to la-live in two houses. I want to live in wa-one. My own…"

Two houses… what is he talking about? "What are you talking about? What two houses…?"

"Miss-Miss Har-har-i-guchi sa-said that I will live in-in two hous-es… wha-wha-when you and daddy ga-ga-get the da-divorce…"

Orihime gritted her teeth. She was at her wit's end with that woman, but she kept her composure as she continued to rub her son's back. "…Divorce?" It was clear that he knew enough to know that a divorce was a bad thing.

"Sh-she sa-said you an-and da-dee didn't la-love each other an-any ma-more…"

Orihime put on her stern-mommy voice. "Tamotsu, that's not true. I love your father. He loves me, very much."

Tamotsu blinked a few times and let a couple more tears slide down his pink cheeks. "So… you aren't getting the divorce…?"

Orihime tapped his round nose. "No, you silly goose… Are you still mad at me, Monkey?"

Tamotsu shook his shaggy head.

"Can I have a hug?"

He nodded and wrapped his arms around her neck. Then he turned his head and planted a tiny kiss on her cheek. "I love you, mommy."

Orihime squeezed him with all her strength. "I love you too…" She pulled back from him. "But if you act up again, you'll get a time out."

Tamotsu nodded with much force, heeding his mother's warning.

He would never disobey her again.

**…**

"He's already falling asleep." Ichigo answered before she could open her mouth.

Orihime shook her head. "I don't want to take him back there… she's crossed the line."

Ichigo scratched his orange head. "Orihime, he needs an education."

Orihime looked down at her belly through the sheets. She was awake; she was always awake when the sun went down. She was her own personal party girl.

"…I don't think that preschool is even required, in fact he hardly learns anything there. Everything he knows he's picked up himself or I've read him books, I've made flash cards…"

Ichigo finished texting on his phone and lay back on the bed. "She overstepped her boundaries, but we're not pulling him from preschool." He twisted over to look at his wife. "There's my job, the custody battle. You already have the bakery to worry about, the new stoves need to be installed in a few weeks, and I don't want Tamotsu to be there at the construction." He heard Orihime huff. "I know you don't want to hear it, but we simply don't have the time to give up whole days to look after Tamotsu."

Orihime slid down further into the blankets and watch Ichigo answer another phone message. "I just can't believe that woman… how dare she say such a thing to my son?"

"People have no filter." He responded distractedly, shrugging his shoulders.

"But to a child?" Orihime shook her head disbelievingly. "The nerve. She knew exactly what she was doing… she knows that his brain will hang on to any and every little thing. She knows he's smarter than the rest of them. That he would put two and two together…"

Ichigo powered down his phone completely and placed it back on the nightstand. "He still doesn't understand completely. He just knows that it wouldn't be right, it wouldn't be the same if a divorce happened."

Orihime turned the lamp off by the bed and curled up under the cover. "Ichigo…Why do so many people want to see us crumble?" she whispered.

Ichigo propped his elbow on his pillow and rested his head in his hand. "They just can't wrap their heads around the fact that a man and a woman can work things out together without forfeiting and jumping to legal paperwork."

His other hand slid underneath the covers and found her thin, cool fingers, curling them around his own. "It's unheard of to them."

Orihime huddle over to his warm body and placed a few kisses on his lips.

"Thank you," Ichigo hummed as he pulled is wife close and chafed her cold arms, "for being so smart and calming and accepting. Even when things went sour, you never left me."

"And I never will." His hand left her arm and moved their way down to her protruding belly. He grinned. "Besides, I have way too much baggage."

Orihime shifted under him and Ichigo twisted until he hovered atop of her, kissing her laggardly.

She let him proceed, grazing his lips against her neck. "…Actually… That reminds me… um, Ichigo?"

His lips came back up and kissed her on the mouth. "Yes?" His neck dipped back down and continued the spicy trail.

Orihime placed a hand on his chest to stop him. "I've, um… I've been feeling these pains around my stomach and lower… I don't know what they are but they come sometimes and then they leave…"

"Why didn't you tell me before?" He sat up with disappointment evident in his tone.

She lifted her elbows and rested on them. "I was so wrapped up with everything else it just didn't cross my mind…." She lowered her eyes. "I apologize for taking so long to tell you…"

"Hun, that's not an excuse."

"And I know that…" She scooted over as he rolled off of her, careful not to hit her belly. "It wouldn't have matter anyway."

"But I want to hear about stuff like that!" He shouted then remembered to quiet down for if he was too loud, Tamotsu would wake. "…I need to hear about stuff like that. It… it brings a sense of normality in our crazy world." He rubbed his closed eyes. "Haven't I showed you that I care about this family more than anything else?"

Orihime nodded guiltily. "…yes…"

"Then why do you insist on telling me the bare minimum of what's going on in your life?"

"For a moment…" Orihime took a deep breath. "…For a moment I didn't think you cared…"

Orihime looked up at him after three long minutes of silence.

She shook her head. "Ichigo, you know-"

"…Well that's not true. I care about you more than anything else." He licked his lips. "I set up an appointment with Yoruichi tomorrow at twelve. Are you feeling up to it?"

Orihime nodded silently. She knew she hurt his feelings, but that was how they got in trouble in the first place. They would never express their feelings to each other.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose and blew out a long hot breath. "Then we'll figure this all out tomorrow… right?"

She smiled faintly though he wasn't looking. "…Right."

…

Yoruichi wiped the ultrasound gel off of Orihime's rounded belly.

Orihime's cheeks were beginning to hurt from how hard she was smiling.

"Did you see her little face?" Ichigo asked. He ran a hand through his spiky hair and looked at his wife pulling her shirt back down.

Orihime nodded happily, on the verge of tears. "Mmhm! She was beautiful."

There was a knock at the door and a young woman, Orihime remembered to be Soi Fon, handed Yoruichi crisp white papers. "Meet me in my office." Yoruichi stated after rifling through those papers. She got up and left the room without another word.

Orihime sat up. "Ichigo, what's wrong?"

He furrowed his brow. "I don't know…" He looked back down at his wife and helped her stand. "Whatever it is, it can't be that bad." He kissed her forehead to soothe her. "Everything's going to be alright."

**…**

"Let me shoot it straight. Stress causes many complications. In your case, it causes the cramping in your abdominal."

Stress. That's all Orihime's life had been throughout the whole pregnancy.

Like Orihime predicted, there was something wrong. Sitting in the office, when Orihime told the doctor about the pains she as feeling, Yoruichi wasn't happy at all.

Orihime nodded. "Okay…"

"When did these cramps start?" Yoruichi lifted a slender, purple brow.

"Um…" Orihime thought about when she entered the company car after being bombarded by those horrid paparazzi… No, it was much sooner than that. "I think around when I was about two… two and a half months…?" Orihime knew that when she was ten or eleven weeks when Ichigo was assaulted.

Yoruichi "I can recommend you some stress relieving activities, but… I think some damage has been done."

Ichigo's phone vibrated in his pocket but he didn't pick it up. He knew it was Ishida and Ichigo knew he was straining over the importance of the Kidō Corporation's banquet coming up in a few more days.

Orihime opened her eyes gray eyes wide. "Is there a point in pregnancy where I can cause the most damage?"

Yoruichi shook her head. "Anytime during the pregnancy can cause severe damage. There's no single moment where the mother can trigger the most harm."

Ichigo glanced at his wife who was chewing on the inside of her cheek, a sure sign of her nervousness. He spoke to the doctor though his eyes didn't leave his wife. "Yoruichi… you said the damage is done, but what does that mean, exactly?"

Yoruichi sighed and then straightened up. "Since I'm being honest, this pregnancy should have been a failure. You should have miscarried considering your history."

"Yoruichi…" Ichigo growled.

Yoruichi placed her pencil down on her desk. "Ichigo, do you want me to lollygag, to beat around the bush? Or do you want the truth?"

"Please, continue," Orihime urged.

Yoruichi nodded. "But, miracles can happen. And in your case, this stress, which was a lot I presume, can impact the newborn's health, your health, the fetus' development and the child's growth could possibly be restricted. Most of all, you'll have a higher risk for preterm labor and birth."

Orihime soaked all of the information.

She was at high risk of premature labor…

That was the last thing Orihime wanted. What if her baby came out sick, or malformed, even worse… dead?

Orihime bit her wobbling lip. Ichigo rubbed her back in large circles, hoping to sooth her.

Yoruichi sighed. "Now, now, Orihime. My job isn't to make you cry, but to inform you." She smiled and her bright eyes twinkled. "I wish nothing but the best for you and the baby. The last thing you need to do now is stress even more about the complications of birth. That's what I'm here for."

Orihime nodded through stinging, dry eyes.

Yoruichi wagged her finger at the duo. "Now I want you back in here soon. I hope I didn't scare you off."

Ichigo helped Orihime up and out of her chair. They walked to the car in silence.

"You know it's her job to tell us every worst case scenario." Ichigo tugged on his seat belt.

Orihime nodded. "Mmhm..."

Ichigo started the car. "Actually, she's supposed to con us into buying extreme care baby products and in-case-of-extreme-emergency junk."

Orihime sighed heavily. "Ichigo… That doesn't make me feel better…"

He drove out of the parking lot and into the moving traffic. "This baby is healthy. You're healthy." Though he didn't look at her, he grinned. "I can't put it any plainer than that."

She brought her hand up and squeezed his thigh gently. "Thank you."

**…**

"Tamotsu!" A girl with long dark hair came running behind the young boy. "Tamotsu!"

Tamotsu turned around. He watched the girl stop in front of him and catch her breath. "Hana?"

She stood up straight. Her finger immediately went up to twirl on a strand of long dark hair. "Um… We're going to build tomorrow… Want to work with me?" She blushed a light pink over her nose and cheeks.

Tamotsu raised a brow. "I was going to work with Misoka…"

Hana's smile died completely. "Oh…"

Tamotsu's eyes lit up when he saw his friend walk out the building. "Misoka!"

Hana scowled at the name.

Misoka hopped down the few steps happily. "Hi Tamotsu."

Hana observed the duo smiling at each other and then her name was called. "…My parents are here…" she said. "See you tomorrow…" Hana sulked away.

Misoka and Tamotsu watched her walk up to a grown up and leave in a car.

Misoka didn't like Hana. Though Misoka was new to the classroom; she knew Hana wasn't a good person. She tricked the other boys into giving their candy to her at snack time.

"My daddy is picking me up." Tamostu said.

Misoka nodded and sat down on the building's small stairs. Tamotsu did the same.

They waited. But it didn't take long for Ichigo to pull up to the preschool.

Ichigo saw that Tamotsu and a little girl were sitting on the front steps, waiting, while other children walked by them.

"And just who might this young lady be?" Ichigo asked as he walked up to his son.

Tamotsu gave his father a strange look.

Misoka smiled shyly. "I-I'm Misoka. I'm Tamotsu's friend."

Ichigo took his son's hand. "Do you want us to wait for your parents with you?"

Misoka frowned as she watched an older woman take her time walking over. "No… My granny is right there."

Ichigo grinned down at his son. "Let's go Tamotsu."

They walked away, hand in hand while Tamotsu waved at his friend. "Bye Misoka!"

Ichigo strapped him into his booster seat and went back to the front. He started the engine and looked at his wife's face.

It was blank.

"You alright, hun?" he asked worriedly.

"I…" After a minute, Orihime closed her jaw when she couldn't get the right words out.

They drove on.

Tamotsu talked about his day at school and Ichigo interacted.

"Miss Haruguchi said we will make a giant painting tomorrow and everyone has to have a partner and I choose Misoka!"

It would be the perfect scene for a wife and a mother… But it didn't feel so.

They came to a red light.

"Ichigo… I want to go to the beach."

Ichigo smiled and relaxed his left shoulder on the door. "Huh. That would be nice wouldn't it?"

She looked at him. "I want to go to the beach right now."

He lifted a brow. "It's fall. It's freezing out there right now."

Orihime shook her head, her burnt-orange locks shaking. "I don't care."

"Are you… are you serious?" Ichigo looked at the road, to his wife and back at the road again.

Orihime nodded, a smile growing on her face. "Yes… yes! I am!"

Ichigo shook his head then looked at his wife once more. "I can't believe this… But…" He sighed. "Fine."

Tamotsu looked up from his copy book. "Are we going to the beach, mommy?"

**…**

Ichigo wanted to drive back home to get the proper attire but Orihime said they didn't need it.

He wanted to stop by to pick up some snacks but she didn't want it.

She only yearned to see the ocean.

When they got there it was only them.

It wasn't sunny and warm and bright but dark and a little dingy looking.

Orihime didn't mind.

Tamotsu didn't care either. As long as he could run around in the water and roll in the sand it was all alright with him.

And Ichigo…Ichigo didn't fret.

Just seeing the smile on his wife's face was enough for him.

"Ahh! Daddy, higher!" Tamotsu shouted from the air. Ichigo placed him back down in the water. Tamotsu bubbled inside with anticipation as he saw another wave rolling in. "Higher!" he shouted as Ichigo threw him up into the air as the waves came slamming in.

Tamotsu's wonderful laugh rung through Orihime's ears. "Higher, daddy, higher!"

Orihime crossed her ankles and leaned back on the sand. She breathed deeply.

"How do you feel?" Ichigo hiked his way through the cool sand and sat down next to his wife. His pants were rolled up to his knees to keep them dry from the rushing waves. His breathing was beginning to regulate after lifting Tamotsu up from the ferocious waters.

Orihime watched Tamotsu stack a pile of watery sand over another. "It smells good here."

Ichigo sniffed the air. "It does, like… salt and petroleum."

Orihime hummed and rubbed her belly. "And magic."

Ichigo lifted a brow at his wife's absurd reasoning. "Magic?"

Tamotsu patted the wet sand until he manipulated the soggy mixture into something he was proud of. He took a step back and smiled at his handiwork.

"Can't you feel it? In the breeze?" Orihime took a deep breath. "It feels right… like everything belongs. Every living creature knows is purpose here…"

The baby likes it here too, Orihime thought. She could feel her stretching and getting into a comfortable position. She liked the sound of the water and the squawking of the seagulls.

Ichigo nudged her with his shoulder. "Want to take a walk?"

Orihime blushed and shook her head.

"Come on. Take a walk with me." Ichigo pulled her hand into his. "Please?"

Without her answer, he helped her stand up and remove the sand from her pants and back.

"Mommy! Mommy, daddy!" Tamotsu ran to them, hoped up and down in front of the duo, and pointed to his sculpture. "Look, mommy! Come with me!"

Tamotsu took her other hand and guided her to his creation.

"Oh, Tamotsu!" Orihime smiled. "It's lovely!"

The child had made a replica of a conch shell. Orihime could make out the curve of the opening and the how he made the flattened side fan out and twist up into its ever spiraling top.

Tamotsu held something up for her to see. It was the actual model, the real conch shell.

Orihime smiled.

It was hard and stiff yet it was smooth and light. It was elegant and beautiful.

The woman looked down at her giddy son. "Can have this, Tamotsu?"

He nodded. It made him happy to make mommy happy.

Ichigo tugged at her hand and lead her down the shore. Tamotsu followed along.

**…**

Ichigo finished turning in the screw and stood up.

Orihime wanted to simply repaint Tamotsu's old crib but Ichigo wouldn't have any of that. So he brought a new one much to Orihime's dismay.

"Ichigo! I need your help! Hurry!"

The man ran upstairs and back into the room. "What's wrong?! Is it the baby?"

Orihime turned around and smiled. Her ponytail bounced behind her and she had a smear of paint under her bottom lip which curved to the side of her chin. "No, of course not!" She rubbed her baby bump. "I'm not tall enough to reach that corner right there!"

Ichigo exhaled and smirked, completely relieved. He walked over and finished swiping the paintbrush back and forth. "Better?"

"Much." Orihime stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. She looked around the empty room. "I think that's it for the clouds…" Orihime saw his worried face. "Ichigo, I'll be fine. I don't think a little paint will kill me."

"I'm allowed to be worried. My little princess is in there." Ichigo rubbed his hand against her belly.

"Your princess isn't going to have a place to stay if we don't get this done." Orihime handed him a paint brush. "Here."

They continued painting silently. But the silence was okay, it was peaceful and relaxing. There was simply nothing to be said. Their smiles did the talking.

It was nice to get her mind off of… everything. The custody battle most of all. It was too painful for her to think that she had to share her son with someone else… That evil man was the last person on earth she wanted her son to be related to.

A tiny hand tugged on her pants. "Mommy, can I help?" Tamotsu looked up at her with giant brown eyes.

Orihime got down to his level and placed the brush in his hand. Together, they moved the brush up and down against the wall.

After a while, Orihime stood up. She looked at the walls and became giddy with happiness.

It was the ocean. There were clouds and the sun was just peeking out from them, like it was just waking up. And the waves looked gentle and curling, soft like a blue blanket.

They kept the pale blue color on the walls though she was having a girl. Orihime didn't want Ichigo's efforts to go to waste.

"Do you like it?" Ichigo asked.

"I love it!" She clapped her hands softly.

"Mommy! Look at the sea!" Tamotsu cheered. "It's the sea!" The child was about to run to the wet wall and touch it but Orihime caught his arm.

"Yes, it is! And you know what else?" She squeezed his arm lightly.

He stared up at his captor and shook his head.

"It's lunch time!"

The trio moved their way down the steps. "I'll make the sandwiches." Ichigo offered.

Orihime pulled off her gloves. "And I'll set the table."

"I'll… um…" Tamotsu scratched his head, wondering with task he'll assign himself. "I'll…I'll eat!"

**…**

The next day, when Ichigo moved all of the furniture into the baby room, Orihime sat in the cushioned chair in the corner of the room.

It was just like the sea. All they needed now was the baby… Orihime tapped her belly. She was sleeping in there. Always sleeping.

The baby… and one more thing…

Orihime twisted the conch in her hands slowly, observing the dark to light lines that traced up and down the shell.

She lifted her hand and placed the conch against her ear. She knew that the rushing sound was the blood flowing through her ear, echoing into the shell, but it was nice to believe.

She stretched her right arm to the dresser next to her and set the conch on the surface.

Just like the shell, her baby has been through some rocking waves and terrible storms. But the end result was…

"Mmm…" she sighed happily. "Perfect."

* * *

**We'll jump back more to the story line with the next chapter. This one was more about the baby and family bonding.**

**And thanks for waiting guys! It was killing me inside that I couldn't update, but my computer is working again- I really need to get a new one.**

**Rocka.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: **Hey guys! Thanks for sticking around for another week! Last week was about family bonding, but this chapter will but us back on track.

**Disclaimer:** If you'd ask anyone I know, they'd tell you that I'd love to own Bleach, because the story line would be _way_ different. But it isn't because I don't on Bleach… Oh well!

* * *

**A few days later.**

* * *

"Is there a way to explain to the court that Tamotsu is better off with me?" Orihime cradled the phone between her ear and shoulder while her hands continued kneading the warm dough.

Osamu shook his head. "It's generally frowned upon to exclude one parent from their child's life completely. Tamotsu is Sousuke's and we can't change that." Osamu shooed his assistant out of his office with a hand gesture. "I'm doing the best I can."

Orihime sighed. She had been talking to Osamu all morning and it seemed as if they were getting nowhere.

"I know you are. But I just need you to understand." Orihime squeezed the dough in her hands, allowing for the gooey mass to flow between her fingers. "I don't want to lose my son."

"Mrs. Kurosaki… I'm looking into it." He heard the phone beep indicating that there was another caller. "I'll contact you tomorrow."

Orihime rolled her eyes when she heard the line go dead. Osamu's efforts weren't enough. Orihime didn't feel secure, not like she thought she should feel. She didn't feel like they could win sole custody again. What if Aizen somehow managed to sneak his way into Tamotsu's life? Tamotsu will be better off with Aizen completely out of his world. He had a mommy and a daddy…

…And a sibling. The court should be satisfied…

Orihime yelped when something hit her toe. She looked down and saw a glob of pastry dough on the edge of her shoe. Orihime scooped the shapeless dough and scrapped it off her fingers and into the garbage.

"What is it now…?" Orihime sighed, completely irritated when she heard a heavy knock at the door.

The woman was still wiping the guck off her shoe when she waddled to the living room, passing an naive Tamotsu. There was another impatient knock and Orihime quickly moved to open the door. Her breath caught at the sight of the person.

"Tatsuki!"

Tatsuki threw her arms around her old friend. "Orihime!"

When Orihime's hands grasped something spiky and thick she leaned back skeptically. "Your hair- I mean, you're here!"

Tatsuki blushed and touched her short cropped hair. "I know… I told myself I'd keep it but I made an impulsive decision and chopped it all off." Tatsuki beamed. "It's more me, don't you think?"

Orihime smiled at her best friend. "It looks nice," she said sincerely. "You deserve a good change anyway."

The tomboy rolled her eyes. "Change, I've had enough of that stuff!" Tatsuki hooked her arm around Orihime's elbow and walked them away from the front door. "It feels like home here."

In the living room, Tamotsu ran to his old wrestling buddy. "Tatsuki-san!"

Tatsuki bent down and gave him a bear hug. "You've gotten so big!" She stood back up and eyed Orihime. "And so have you!"

Orihime patted her belly. Her daughter had recently grown a little wider. "That's what happens when-" The woman looked down at Tamotsu. "…When you plant the seed…"

Tatsuki nodded, catching on quickly.

Orihime looked at Tatsuki's empty hands. "How about we go get your bags?"

The dark haired woman sucked her teeth. "We'll do that later." She grabbed Orihime's hand and walked her to the steps. "I want to know about everything I've missed."

They sat up stairs on Orihime bed, just chatting, just like old times. Before her pregnancies, before Ichigo cheated, before she was married. Just like in her old, rusty apartment.

"Speaking of which, where is that devil. I wanted to have a little chat with him." Tatsuki made a wide grin that was all too familiar to Orihime.

"Tatsuki," she breathed. "Things are alright, for now at least."

Tatsuki shook her head. "But why should you have to _settle_ with that? Why can't it be alright all of the time?"

Orihime scratched her head. "That's just not the hand I've been dealt." She took a pillow and played with the tassels.

"Then ditch this game and find a new deck." Orihime rolled her eyes at Tatsuki's analogy. "Aren't you tired of this wonderful husband act? He screws up and then he plays the good guy? Just for him to turn around and fuck it all up again?"

"Tatsuki…" she warned.

"Sorry, sorry. I know." Tatsuki rubbed her spiky head. "But come on! Orihime, we've been through this before…"

Orihime tugged on a thread and it fell between her fingers. "I already told you that I don't want to have my family grow up in a-"

"Broken home." Tatsuki finished for her. "Orihime, that's a piss-poor excuse and you know it."

"Tatsuki…" Orihime looked up at her long time friend. She looked… younger. Refreshed. Though Orihime is in her late- twenties, she felt twice her age. In experience that is. "…You just don't understand… I don't care how many times he screws up; I'll still be by his side."

"Ori-"

The pregnant woman sat up straighter. "Tatsuki, if you came here to ridicule me and my lifestyle you can leave."

Of course Tatsuki wouldn't understand. She meant well, Orihime knew that. But she hadn't gone through the things she had. Felt the things she felt. Yes, Renji Abarai was a hassle… but it wasn't the same.

Tatsuki blinked a few times in amazement. "…Well, look who grew some lady balls!"

Orihime blushed. "Language…" she reminded her.

Tatsuki got off the bed and stood. "Since that's that, while you're not being mad at me, I'll be helping you around the house and with the baby."

Orihime's smile appeared again. She huffed in relief and flopped back down on her pillows. "That sounds perfect. I want to spend more time with Tamotsu, but I'm always sleeping. And when I'm not sleeping, I'm eating chocolate, cooking, or cleaning. And when I'm not doing that, I'm at the bakery making sure things are going smoothly before we officially open again." She placed the pillow back where it belonged under her head. "The only time I have with him is when he wants to go to the park… even then I'm not _really_ interacting with him."

Tatsuki took her hand. "That's why I'm here! I'll clean, cook… and, um, I'll eat chocolate with you!"

"Oh, Tatsuki! I can always count on you!" She hugged her. "Do you know how hard it is to have no chocolate eating buddy?"

* * *

**Later that night.**

* * *

Orihime stared down at her wiggling toes. She had on black, opaque tights that went up and over her belly. She couldn't see the tiny appendages but she knew they were there. "Ichigo, I really don't want to go to this thing…"

Ichigo came out of his closet, pulling the knot of his skinny tie up to his collar. "We won't stay long. I promise."

Orihime looked up from her toes and at her husband. He was struggling with his cufflinks and Orihime stood from the bed and helped him. "You put in hour after hour for your job… and what do they give back?"

Ichigo held her hands after she finished pushing the links through the slits. "My job has given us a comfortable lifestyle." Orihime looked down and harrumphed. "It isn't a lot but it's just enough."

The man lifted her chin up and then held her face. "You look beautiful by the way." Ichigo always loved the color green on her. It was the perfect dress that was cinch under her chest and fell straight down to her knees.

"Thank you." When Orihime and Tatsuki went shopping for a dress earlier that day, of course she worried that a dress wouldn't fit. But after a choice that came down to either green or purple, it was Tamotsu who made the final decision. The right decision.

Ichigo rubbed his thumb along her cheek but it made her skin smear. Ichigo lifted a brow in astonishment. "… What's this?" He rubbed his fingers together and between them was a flesh-colored substance.

"Oh… Um, I haven't had much sleep lately…" When Orihime was awake, all she could do was think about the custody battle. And when she tried to go to sleep, her baby would wake her baby up again, and when Orihime was awake all she could do as stress.

"I saw these dark circles under my eyes so I covered them up… Does it look stupid?" Orihime knew that Yoruichi told her to stop stressing, but trying to not be stressful was stressful which made attempting stress relief, like eating chocolate, even more stressful then it really was.

Without a word, Ichigo took a tissue from out of its box and gently wiped the makeup off from over her cheeks.

When he finished, he balled it up in his hand and grinned. "There you are." He kissed her nose. "You're beautiful. Don't ever cover your face up."

Orihime nodded thankfully. He left for his closet again and Orihime sat back down on their bed, facing a new problem. "Okay…" she breathed. "I've battled this before…" Two shoes looked back at her, one, flat, safe, and convenient. The other… grown… sexy, dangerous… "Pregnant." Orihime confirmed with a firm nod. She slipped her feet into the black flats.

"Here."

Orihime looked up to see Ichigo holding out a large, black velvet box.

"What's this for?" Orihime asked as she took it from his hands. Her smile wilted as she pulled a diamond necklace out its container. It gleamed and reflected the lights, causing the beams to bounce and glitter off the walls.

"Ichigo…" she shook her head disapprovingly while he hooked the necklace around her neck. "…This must have cost a fortune!"

"I'm still making payments on it." He shrugged and watched her walk to their full length mirror. "Nothing my job can't handle."

The pregnant woman turned the side and then to the other. Before, she looked like a giant green balloon. But now she looked like a sparkly giant green balloon! Orihime wasn't a material girl, but this necklace was… was...

"If anyone asks, I gave it to you as an anniversary gift."

Orihime turned away from the mirror, not wanting to think about that horrible day.

Ichigo tugged on his suit jacket but paused when he realized his mistake. His wife was looking down, away from her reflection. "I've never formally apologized for that… I'm sorry that I wasn't-"

"Will she be there…?" Orihime began chewing on the inside of her cheek and then the infamous lump formed in her throat.

"Not that I know of…" Ichigo rubbed her sleeved shoulders. "I've cut all ties with her, you know this."

Her throat went dry which made it even harder for her to swallow the thick lump blocking her speech. "What will people say…?" her voice cracked softly.

She was scared. He didn't want her to be. "Nothing new or anything we haven't heard." He plastered a smile on his face. "Don't be upset. We're supposed to look happy."

…_Look_ happy. Was their happiness artificial? Since she's came back all Orihime's been doing was playing a role. The perfect wife. The pieces fit perfectly… was this how it was supposed to feel?

She played her role effortlessly… but was she still playing the role? Was it her on the stage, playing her part and everyone else who was true? Or was the performance over and she was the only one still acting?

She didn't know anymore. The lines between fake and real were too close and now they've blended together…

Whatever it was, real or fake… Orihime wanted to keep it that way… Everything was too perfect now to ruin.

**…**

Tatsuki opened the cabinet, shut it, and then opened another.

Tamotsu bounced in behind her, watching her scrunch up her nose.

His parents left the house. His mommy looked very pretty and his daddy smelled good… they were going somewhere special. So now it was just him and Tatsuki-san.

Tatsuki looked down at Tamotsu. Her eyes widened in mock horror. "They have no snacks in here…"

He grinned up at her, knowing that Tatsuki-san was always fun and was always taking him on adventures.

Tatsuki lifted a brow, letting the anticipation grow. Tamotsu's face turned red and his cheeks puffed up as he watched her slowly close the cabinet door. "Hmm... What are we going to do about this?"

Tamotsu lifted his shoulders and shrugged.

"Hmm…" Tatsuki pondered. She walked in a circle around the kitchen island and Tamotsu marched behind her, never taking his eyes off the wiry woman.

She stopped in her tracks somewhere between the sink and dishwasher. Tamotsu bumped right into her long legs. "…Wanna go on a late night shopping trip with me?"

The child hopped and screeched in delight. "Shopping trip!"

**…**

Orihime looked over her shoulder again. Three women turned their faces sharply away from her. They were talking about her. "How much longer do we have to be here, Ichigo?"

Ichigo sat down and sighed. "Orihime, we just got here."

She looked to her left and on the other side of the room, a lady in pink was giggling. She was giggling and glancing at Orihime. "I know… but I feel like everyone is staring…"

"So what if they are?"

Her gray eyes widened. "They're talking about us…"

"People will talk for the rest of our lives…" The man exhaled slowly. "We'll leave in a few, I just have to speak to Ishida and we'll go."

"Hi!"

The couple looked up and behind them stood a short, blond haired woman with way too much makeup on.

Orihime gave her a faint smile. "…Hello…"

Ichigo nodded in acknowledgment. "Good evening."

She stuck out her small, thin hand and vigorously shook the red head's hands. "I'm Eiko Nishimoto, a reporter from The Bulletin… Can I ask you two a few questions?"

"No thank-"

"Take a seat." Ichigo pointed to the chair by his wife.

Orihime stared at her husband disbelievingly. "Ichigo…"

In a flash, Eiko pulled of a mini pad and pen from out of her bag. "…Can I take note that you aren't wearing your wedding bands?"

"Huh?" Orihime looked down at her bare fingers… she hardly noticed the weightlessness of them anymore.

Eiko pointed with her pen. "Your rings… beautiful necklace by the way…"

_Play the part…_ whispered through her mind. "…It was an anniversary gift… from… from my husband…" Orihime placed a hand on Ichigo's shoulder distractingly. He smiled encouragingly.

From her peripheral vision, Orihime could see people staring more intently, like she was a piece of meat and everyone were starving piranhas, wanting, craving a piece of her. Wanting to get inside of her, to know what makes it tick.

From her other side she saw Eiko Nishimoto scribbling down hard on her pad, as if she wasn't fast enough, then the thought would float from her mind.

"Great, great… anniversary… Now," Eiko sat up straighter. "Let's just get down to the real business…" Leaning in and lifted and wax brow, she asked Orihime a much too personal question: "How do you make your marriage work even though you have an illegitimate son?"

Ichigo cleared his throat and opened his mouth to interject but Orihime beat him to it.

"Excuse me?" No matter how much it hurt, Orihime was able to take beatings for what she's done, what Ichigo did, or even what Aizen did. But it hurt the most when someone involved her son into the conflict. _No one_ was allowed to _ever_ speak about Tamotsu.

Eiko pursed her hot pink lips. "Did that come off a little harsh? Let me rephrase that... Hmm…" the blond tapped her pen against her chin. "How does your union function so smoothly though your wife had an affair and ended up with Sousuke Aizen's bastard?"

Orihime gasped. Ichigo asked her if she was alright and she nodded. Eiko continued to write down Orihime's reaction on her notepad.

"Look," Ichigo glared back at the reporter. "I don't know what kind of paper you're running or writing for, but that is way too inappropriate."

"Oh, please? The people really want to know! There are couples out there with lesser problems then the two of you and they stop trying." Eiko pointed her pen at Ichigo and gave it a twirl. "How can you stand to look at your son though you know he's not yours?"

Orihime abruptly stood. "Would you excuse me please?" She grabbed her clutch and stumbled on her way past the stairs and socializing people.

He held her hand and took the lead through the crowd. As they turned a corner to a less crowded parlor, he guided her down to a wooden armchair and listened as she stabled her shaky breaths. "…Ichigo… she was harassing us… She was being mean and nasty and… and rude and just plain mean."

"Orihime, that's just how some people are in this world." He squeezed her cold hands. "Don't cry, it'll be alright."

"Is this what people really think? Is that what they really want to know?" Orihime looked back down at her cold hands, red now from how hard she was holding Ichigo's. "Ichigo, we are not a… a tabloid, a headline… I don't want people reading about us and making up stories and assumptions…" She sniffled though everything from her neck and above was dry. "We… we're not bad people…"

It was hard for Ichigo to explain… He did PR for a living but he couldn't even explain the system to his wife.

"Ichigo, I want to go home. Now, please."

"Alright… Alright, but I have to go exchange a few words with some colleagues… I can't just leave, not just yet." Ichigo didn't want to torture her any longer, but he had a social job, a duty to his company. This job didn't trump his duty to his marriage to Orihime, but it was definitely an important factor.

"Please, Ichigo." She held her aching head. "I want to go… now."

The last few bystanders in the parlor poured out, leaving the couple alone to their own prerogatives.

Ichigo took a deep breath. He knew when he acted calm, she'd act calm too. "Cool off, just lay back and breathe and I'll be back in five minutes. Okay?"

Orihime gulped down some air which only made her throat even drier. "…Okay…"

**…**

"Do you like… Doritos…?" Tatsuki looked at Tamotsu. He nodded, reached to the shelf and added a bag to the cart.

The woman asked if the child liked popcorn. He nodded again, grabbed for the bag and chucked it behind him into the cart.

"We have a good system going here…" Tatsuki said. She asked Tamotsu if he liked Fritos but the child shook his head and stuck out his tongue in disgust.

She pushed the cart forward. "Let's go get in line."

"Tatsuki…?"

Tatsuki looked down at Tamotsu in shock. His innocent dark brown eyes blinked back. Okay, Tatsuki thought. Tamotsu is way too young to have such a deep voice…

"Tatsuki." A red haired man walked up to the cart. "It's me."

She allowed for a smile to creep onto her face. "Renji?" Tatsuki walked up to him and awkwardly placed an arm around him, he the same.

Renji transferred his six-pack beer to the other hand. "…How, um, have you been?"

Tatsuki rubbed the back of her head. She knew that that beer was his favorite. "Good…"

Renji leaned back and looked at her in full view. "You look… good."

The woman rolled her eyes in disgust. "Alright, spill it. But if it's about my hair then I'm going to-"

The red head's brown eyes widened. "Whoa there!" He grinned a white one. "I like it."

Tatsuki reluctantly relaxed. "…Really?"

Renji nodded. "I, um… I like it short."

Tatsuki lifted her hand and touched her cropped hair. "You do…?"

"Well…" Renji shrugged his thick, tattooed, well toned arms. "People can change."

Tatsuki didn't know how to take him. When she normally came across an enemy, she immediately took action in destroying them…"Yeah, they can." But Renji was different. He always had been… she could never destroy him though she tried plenty a times.

Renji looked around her and pointed at the cart. "And who's this?"

Tatsuki looked over her shoulder and walked back to the cart. "Kurosaki's offspring." She gave Tamotsu's rounded belly a little tickle and he giggled lightly.

Renji pointed at the child. "That's Tamotsu?" he asked skeptically.

Tatsuki nodded.

Tamotsu squint his eyes at the red haired man. He didn't know him but he didn't like him. He was scary and mean-looking and he had odd hair and he had dark marking all over his arms and face… And he was making Tatsuki-san act weird. She had red stuff all over her cheeks and she wouldn't stop shifting around- like she had ants in her pants or something. That's what mommy says when he couldn't stop moving and dancing around.

"Huh." Abarai grazed his thumb against his scruffy cheek. "He's the little bugger everyone was making a fuss about?"

Tatsuki took the handle of the cart. "He is not a bugger, he's an angel. Isn't that right?"

Tamotsu nodded and harrumphed at the scary man.

The woman turned the cart around and moved to the front of the supermarket.

Renji followed.

"So…" Abarai helped with carrying a few of her goodies to the car. "You want to grab dinner some time?"

Tatsuki finished buckling Tamotsu to the car seat. "Um… I'm not in town for long-"

"The sooner the better." He interjected.

"Um…" Tatsuki caught Tamotsu's eye. He didn't look too happy. "Renji… I, um… I…" Tatsuki threw her arms into the air in defeat. "Why not!"

Tamotsu watched his friend fumble for words. He didn't like that expression on Tatsuki-san. It made her look like a red tomato.

"That's gre-."

Tatsuki squeezed her hand into a fist, literally battling heself. "On second thought… No." She shook her head and she didn't see the smile drop from his face. "No. I think that we do well as friends… and I want to keep it that way."

Renji raised his right brow. "Are you sure?"

Tatsuki nodded. "Positive. I don't want to ruin this for the both of us."

After a thought, Renji nodded too. "I think you're right." He shifted the six-pack to his other hand. "It's for the best…"

"Yeah… it is." Tatsuki opened the front left door, started the engine and drove away.

**…**

Ichigo pulled into their double driveway and stopped the car. "Are you feeling any better?" he asked. Most of the lights were on in the house which possibly meant that Tatsuki and Tamotsu fell fast asleep.

Orihime inhaled and nodded. "A little…" She glanced at her husband and he lightly smiled back. "Ichigo, can I ask you something…?"

"Of course." He stopped the engine. "Anything."

Orihime rested her head in her hands and sighed. "How did you feel when we went to the court trial?"

"I was upset. Just like any man in my situation would feel… but that doesn't change the way I feel for you and Tamotsu- none of it ever has."

"Well… She was right…" He heard her groan. Her hair came down on all sides like a fiery waterfall and then she sat up which made it strand glimmer in the dark car. "It hurts when they say he's not your son."

He waited until she looked at him. "I've never denied that."

She shook her head. "But I won't put you through that again. I don't want you to come to the next court hearing."

He raised an orange brow. "Are you sure? I don't mind, I really-"

"I have to do it myself, Ichigo."

He didn't know what she was trying to prove, he just didn't understand. But if it was something that she felt that she had to do alone, he wasn't going to interfere. "I won't argue with you. If this is what you want who am I to complain?"

Orihime exhaled. "Thank you."

* * *

**The next day.**

* * *

Ichigo threw the ball lightly over to Tamotsu. He let the child run to the other side of the yard and cheer at his touchdown.

"He scores!" Ichigo jogged over and gave his son a high-five. Tamotsu handed the ball back to his father and they made their way back to the middle of the yard. Ichigo took the ball and let his son tackle him to the ground. Tamotsu took the ball again and ran back to the edge of the yard and spiked the ball to the ground.

Ichigo chuckled at his son's enthusiasm.

Tamotsu must notice how excited his daddy gets over sports so he has taken it up himself. Daddy would shout and yell at the television all the time when the men were playing games. Tamotsu wanted to make his daddy proud.

"Daddy, I touchdowned! Daddy… daddy, play with me again!" Tamotsu walked back to his resting father happily. "Daddy, will you play?" He saw that Ichigo had his eyes closed. He took his finger and tried to lift his eyelid with it. "Daddy, play with me."

Tamotsu succeed for Ichigo blinked and rubbed his watery eye. He sighed heavily. Imitating him, Tamotsu did the same.

Ichigo yawned and looked up at the clear sky. "I think it's time to go inside…"

Tamotsu frowned. "No! I want to play!"

Ichigo pulled himself up on his elbows. "I don't know… you look a little tired."

The child shook his head. "Daddy, I'm a big boy. I can play!"

Ichigo squint his eyes as Tamotsu begged with his own. Damn, Ichigo thought. How can I say no to that?

"Alright, alright." Ichigo stood up and so did Tamotsu. "One more game, okay champ?"

"Yeah!" Tamotsu hoped in place in eagerness.

It was routine. Ichigo had the ball first but Tamotsu would always get it back, if Ichigo was lucky, he would score a point but Tamotsu would score the next.

Tamotsu had gotten the ball again. He ran and ran and tripped over a mound in the ground.

He didn't believe what happened to him at first, but when the realization came, the dirt, the ground, the pain, he began to cry.

Ichigo stood over. "Hey, hey don't cry. You're a big boy now. Remember?"

Tamotsu sniffled up the tears quickly, hoping not to disappoint. Tears still fell but he was sure not to make a sound.

Ichigo got down to his level. "Now let me see that arm." He took his son's arm, turned and twisted it. He nicked himself on the elbow against the ground. There was minimal blood, nothing he couldn't survive through.

Ichigo picked up his son and walked back into the house from the backyard. He sat him down on the kitchen table. Ichigo found peroxide and a band-aid in the cabinet and patched his son back up.

Tamotsu rubbed his finger against the smooth sticker.

"All better?" Ichigo asked.

Tamotsu nodded silently.

Ichigo lifted him off of the table.

"Daddy, how come you don't let me cry but you let mommy cry?"

Ichigo looked down at his son. Tamotsu knew something was wrong with his question. He knew he wasn't supposed to ask something so daring and risky to his father. But he was always a curious one. "Tamotsu… I…" He wrinkled his brow in utter confusion. "…I don't know."

The front door opened and Tatsuki and Orihime came bustling in with bags and bags of groceries. The boys helped put it all away of course, but Ichigo was all too distracted. He accidently placed a milk carton in the plate cabinet.

Aside from his odd behavior, the night went on as usual. Orihime cleaned the dishes and Tatsuki dried them. Tamotsu fell asleep on the couch. Ichigo helped by sweeping the kitchen floor then moving downstairs to his office.

He didn't get much work done.

Ichigo thought about all the times she's cried, of course he wasn't present for each one, but he was looking at it from a general point of view. If he has seen her cry many times before he couldn't imagine how many times she's cried when his back was turned.

Ichigo leaned back in her chair and frowned. How could he have done the things he's done to her? How could he have cheated? She deserved more. If he was truly honest, he cheated himself. He cheated himself out of great years and time.

He wasn't going to waste it anymore.

They went to bed. Tamotsu was tucked in and heavy-eyed and Orihime was climbing into the covers. Ichigo didn't even know how he'd gotten to the bedroom. It was like he was floating on a cloud all day.

Orihime turned her lamp off. "Good night, Ichigo," she mumbled and nestled into the sheets.

Ichigo leaned over and cupped her cheeks. She smiled sweetly at him and he did the same. He bent down and kissed her on the left cheek, then her right and her left again.

Orihime giggled from the ticklish kisses.

His eyes wandered down to her lips and he touched them with his own. She complied happily.

Orihime suddenly became worried. Orihime didn't know why, she just did. The woman stroked the back of his head and down to the tiny orange hairs that trickled down behind his neck. "What's wrong, Ichigo?" she whispered. "You've been acting strange all day... Is it because of last ni-"

"I love you." He said. He didn't whisper.

The sides of her lips turned up. "I love you too."

Ichigo pushed off of her and dug through a drawer in his nightstand. He came back over and he held out two gold rings. "Will you take these back?"

Orihime looked into his large palm were two gold bands sat. Orihime wanted to touch them, to put them on and where them around like she used too. But things were different now… she had to wait. "…Not yet, Ichigo… just… Not yet."

His fingers curled and closed around the rings. "Okay…"

"It's not you, it's me." She looked at his disappointed face. "Ask me again, later."

_Stupid, stupid!_ Ichigo chanted in his head. His should have known she wouldn't have taken them back. It obviously wasn't the right time… "Alright." He placed the rings back in their hiding spot.

She was sorry to hurt his feelings repeatedly, but it wasn't the right time. She sunk back down into the blankets. "Goodnight."

Ichigo closed the drawer. "Night."

* * *

**Hey guys! Hoped you liked this chapter! The next one is the court hearing which means one thing- time skip!**

**And no guarantees, but I'll be out of town, away from my computer for a few days after Christmas. I'm not sure if I'll be able to update next Sunday, but we shall see!**

**Stay tuned! And Merry Christmas!**

**Rocka.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: **Hey guys! I was up in the mountains for break but my internet connection is crappy so that I couldn't get through to ffnet. I missed the Sunday deadline and I waited a full week because I hate updating during the weekdays- those are the worst!

But that doesn't matter much now, we're here to read!

**Disclaimer:** I, Rocka, in no way shape or form own Bleach. Just this story.

* * *

**Two and a half months later.**

* * *

"Well, where the hell is he?"

"So eager, Kurosaki." Ishida adjusted his already straight glasses. "If he called this meeting, then he will eventually show up."

Ichigo would rather he didn't call a meeting at all, but, no matter how horrendous the situation was, Aizen was his client. And though Ichigo didn't want to put his best foot forward, it was the company's reputation on the line, and he wasn't in charge for nothing.

"He could at least be here on time." Ichigo snapped back.

"Good morning!" A tall girl with a notepad, brown pigtails and matching eyes smiled down at the two men. "Hello, I'm Hitomi! What will it be sir?"

Ichigo considered then looked up from his menu. "What does it mean?"

Hitomi's eyes widened, bewildered. "Excuse me?"

Ichigo pointed to her name badge clipped to her uniform. "Your name."

"Oh..." The waitress's brown eyes looked up at the ceiling in thought then back down to Ichigo. "Sorry, I can't remember."

Ishida cleared his throat after looking up from his phone. "I'll take a coffee, black. And keep them coming."

"Black coffee..." She echoed as she wrote on the pad.

"A glass of water will be fine." Ichigo folded down the menu and stared after the young girl as she walked away. He and Orihime have been looking for the right name. There were many options, most the two couldn't agree on. But, _Hitomi_... It just sounded right.

The redhead could barely hear his colleague's voice as he nudged him with him elbow.

"...cheese pear..."

Ichigo blinked, confused. "Sorry?"

"He's here."

Then Ichigo found Ishida's line of sight and sure enough, outside, walking along the sidewalk, there he is, with two other men walking behind him.

He snarled.

"Civilized," Ishida reminded him. "Mind your language; too, we're in public."

The first man opened the door for him while the second man, familiar to Ichigo but he's yet to see his face, stayed outside, talking on a cell phone.

"I apologize for being out of touch for so long." He smoothly slid into a chair. "If I didn't have other businesses, then we could have met sooner."

"You were the one to ask us to come here."

"Here you go!" A small pale wrist blocked Ichigo's view of his client. "One coffee, black. And one iced water." Hitomi placed a mug in front of Ishida a filled it with steaming dark liquid. She back up and finally noticed Aizen. "Oh! Um... would you want anything?" She grinned brightly. "We have a lunch special!"

Aizen raised his hand slightly, his eyes managing to never leave Ichigo's. "No thank you."

The three men waited until Hitomi left.

Ichigo grinded his teeth together roughly in irritation. "I thought we came to an agreement."

"Yes. Agreements. Speaking of those, I'd wish your staff would follow our courtesy agreements. I've several reports of your people being rude and short with employees." Ishida took it upon him to stir the meeting into a business setting, though he knew the business Aizen and Ichigo were speaking of was far from the business he wanted to discuss.

Aizen ran a large hand through dark hair, completely ignoring Ishida. "We did. I wouldn't tell anyone about your little… deals with Kensei Muguruma." As always, one straggling curl springs back between his eyes and is left behind. "And in exchange, you would promote my company. All's well that ends well."

Ichigo wanted to hit him. To hit that smirk off of his face. He walks around with it on like he owns the whole goddamn world. Not if Ichigo could help it.

And he knew. Aizen knew exactly what he was talking about. "...I thought it was also mutually agreed upon that you'd stay away from my family."

Aizen looked to his right and frowned. "Yes, that agreement is still on, unless you want to take that back."

"You lied."

Aizen's brown eyes crept back up to Ichigo's and hardened. "Ichigo Kurosaki. I am not a liar. And if I did, you still wouldn't catch me on it. I presume you're speaking of the custody case."

"You know damn well what I'm talking about," he growled. Next to him, he Ishida cleared his throat loudly and received another nudged.

His face, inch by inch, was slowly becoming harder and harder. "I did not, in fact, 'touch' your family, but my own. I want Tamotsu, my son. Unfortunately, he has no blood ties to you whatsoever." He smiled but the hardness wasn't completely wiped away. "Just a roof and woman."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes, wanting to use a few choice words but he heard a child's laughter somewhere behind him.

Aizen stood, straightening his suit jacket. "So I'm still within the right of our trivial contract. Are we done here?"

Ichigo's eyes darkened, refusing to be defeated. "You aren't getting away with this."

"Ichigo Kurosaki," Aizen looked over his shoulder and the first man opened the door again. "I already have."

He should have stayed there. He should have calmed down and left what was as it is. But he couldn't. He couldn't let Aizen saunter off with that smirk on his face.

"Kurosaki, don't!"

Ichigo swung the glass door opened and stormed out of the coffee shop. Aizen was entering the back of a car as Ichigo raged down the sidewalk. The second man, closing Aizen's door was still talking on the phone. As Ichigo approached the vehicle, he spoke his last words into the receiver.

"We're leaving..."

Ichigo stood still. He's heard his voice before... somewhere. Those words he's heard before.

The man never dropped eye contact. Even as he entered the car.

Ichigo's mind scanned voice after voice, trying to place that man somewhere, in some slot.

_"We leave."_

The back of his throat closed tightly. It couldn't be... not the... the man who mugged him.

The man's emerald eyes shifted to the road as the car drove off.

But why would he be... he's with... Ichigo's face crumbled in hatred.

Aizen. He wanted him injured. He got it. He wanted him viewed as an insufficient parent. He managed that too. There was only one goal. One thing that chewing the bastard inside out. One thing he couldn't get.

Each of his hands came together into a tight fist.

One thing...

**... **

"Tamotsu, stop touching it, or it'll bleed again!"

Orihime took a napkin and dabbed at her son's missing tooth. It came out only a week ago while he was pretending to be a jet plane and accidentally tripped and fell.

"Mommy..." Tamotsu whined and gagged at the taste of the cloth.

"Now." Orihime stood up and looked down at him. "We're here to see grandpa. So be on your best behavior."

Tamotsu nodded and took his mother's hand.

The child noticed that his mommy was getting bigger! Daddy says that the planted seed will turn into a baby and then it will get bigger and bigger until one day it will be in the hospital, waiting for us.

Mommy said that they were in a hospital now, but the baby wasn't coming yet.

The child remembered going through a series of white halls and floors. They finally stopped in front of another white door. He remembered seeing his mommy knock on the door and open the door.

"Grandpa!" Tamotsu shrieked but restrained himself from hopping onto the bed and wrestling his old man to the ground. He remembered his instruction and allowed his mommy to sit him down on one of the nearby chairs. There he finished picking with the vacant spot where his front tooth once resided with his tongue.

"Hi." Orihime said softly and waddled to the side of his bed. "How are you feeling?" It was becoming harder to walk as of late. Her hips managed to become wider though it already seemed impossible and Orihime had even more trouble sleeping.

On the bright side, Tatsuki was always there to eat chocolate with her at two in the morning!

Isshin pushed himself up when they walked through the door. He still looked like himself aside from the sticky patches attached to his chest. "Better than yesterday. That's for sure."

Orihime gave her father in-law a wide grin though she felt far from smiling. Isshin had suffered from a mild heart attack, which easily could have been a big one! When Ichigo and Orihime visited him the first time, she and Yuzu broke down in tears. Orihime promised to come back when she was much more reserved. She's now visited him every day since the attack occurred three days ago.

The old man made a long, drawn out sigh. "I want to get out of here... I'm tired of being strapped down and drugged up!"

Orihime shifted on the bed a little, holding her large belly. "They're just monitoring your heart before you go. You only have a few more days left... and if you're good, maybe they'll let you out early!"

"You make it sound like prison."

It is prison. And Orihime would know. She's been in a hospital more times than she could count on her fingers! "This isn't that bad... You'll be home soon. I guarantee it."

Isshin laid back down and hummed deeply. His eyes were closed as he asked his next question. "How's life outside of this hellhole?"

"Well," Orihime rubbed her stomach again. "BabyCakes is back up for business tomorrow!"

His left lid lifted and Orihime couldn't tell but she thought she saw an mischievous glint. "Is everything running smoothly?"

Tamotsu traced the lines of the wood on the arm of the chair with his finger. It dipped down and came back up to the top. There were dark lines and light lines and squiggly lines! "_Smoothly..._" Tamotsu repeated.

"I can't begin to tell you how easy it's all been. It's the only thing I can really be sure of. It's like the only thing in this upside down world that... works!"

Isshin reached for the cup beside his bed but Orihime got to it first. She waddled around and poured him a glass of water from the pitcher. "How about the money? Is it tight?"

The woman frowned slightly as she continued pouring. "We have more than enough."

"Ten grand sure is a lot!"

Orihime halted her pouring. "It sure is- it..." Orihime placed the pitcher back down and handed the cup to her father in-law. "Isshin... I've never mentioned the ten thousand to you... ever."

"Damn. I let it slip!" Isshin shook his head. "Just... forget I said anything!"

Tamotsu's ears poked up in alert. Grandpa said a bad word...

"Isshin! If you know... was it you?!" She exclaimed. All of that money? That was probably taken right out of his savings! Why did he do this?!

"Half. Just half." Isshin said in his defense. He slowly lifted the cup up to his lips and took a sip. "I wanted to give more but Ichigo insisted that we split it."

"Ichigo! But... but..." Orihime held her head to keep it from spinning.

"How do you think the money got in the account? Those girls- Michiru and R-ry-re-"

Orihime looked up. "Michiru and Ryō..."

"Ryō!" In his excitement, his cup tilted and drops of water splattered onto the sheets. "They were in on it too!"

Orihime felt woozy all of a sudden and sat back down on the side of the bed... It wasn't because they lied or went behind her back... It was just that... ten thousand dollars is a _lot _of money. It's just... why would they do all of it... for her?

Orihime felt a warm hand on her shoulder. "Don't be upset... we were trying to help..."

Tamotsu stood up in his chair and shouted. "Don't be upset, Mommy!"

"I know but... I..." Orihime shook her head and waited patiently as the pain in her head travelled from the back to the front. "I feel so..." Looking at his face. His jolly old face... Orihime couldn't tell him how she really felt. How she felt like a failure and constantly needed the help of others. How she always needed crutches. The man just had a heart attack for Christ sakes! "... happy. I'm so... overjoyed!"

Isshin grinned back. "Happy to hear it."

Orihime put on the brightest smile she could muster. "Thank you. Thank you, I really mean it... I wouldn't have my bakery without you."

"Bakery?" Tamotsu climbed down from the chair. "Cookies? Bakery?" The child walked over to his mother and grabbed his mother's hand, tugging it a little. "Bakery?" he asked again.

"Me- I and Tamotsu have to go." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Feel better, okay."

"We know how much it meant to you." Isshin called before she walked out the door.

"I know, and that's why you should have never done it!" Orihime felt like shouting at him. But she couldn't. Instead, she just smile, thanked him once more and left the hospital.

**...**

The front door pinged and Orihime looked up to see Ichigo coming through the front door. "I thought I'd catch you guys here. I asked Tatsuki and she said you were still at the hospital."

Tatsuki had become a huge help around the house. Making dinner every night and making sure Tamotsu was up and dressed in the morning because Orihime needed her rest.

Orihime set her broom behind the counter and kissed her husband.

"Where's the little guy?" Ichigo asked.

Orihime wiped her hands on the sides of her maternity pants. "Sleeping. In my office."

Ichigo began walking up the stairs behind her. "I'll go get him-"

"Isshin told me what you did." Orihime debated with herself. She wasn't sure if she should have let him know that she knew but their new relationship was all about trust. If she didn't get it off her chest then what was the point of making anew in the first place?

Ichigo stopped walking and looked over his shoulder. "What did I do?"

The woman spun around sharply. "...I know you were trying to help but you shouldn't have!" _Oops_, she thought. She promised herself she'd keep her temper in check. Last time her and Ichigo got into an argument , a few weeks back, she threw a plate at him. But in her defense, he should had never said turduckens were stupid and with all the stuff going on inside her body with the pregnancy, every little dispute can turn into World War III.

"BabyCakes is mine!"

Ichigo walked back down the stairs and held her hand but she pulled away. "BabyCakes is still yours; no one is taking that from you. I- we all wanted to help you."

She wasn't taking that excuse! "Then why didn't you tell me it was you from the start?"

The redhead sighed. "We all unanimously agreed that we wanted to keep it a secret. We didn't want to take any credit for what _you _built."

Orihime thought for a moment. By keeping it a secret she could keep her dignity... Well it didn't feel that way before...

Orihime felt his hand come back up and rub her shoulder. "...I guess that makes sense..."

He kissed her again and waited until she looked him in the eye. "It's not a lie. I'm sorry for not telling the truth the first time, but we all thought it was for your own good."

Well now she just felt like an ungrateful brat. When he puts it all together like that it just doesn't seem so bad...

"I'll go get Tamotsu and you get ready to go. Sounds good?"

She nodded. "Mhmm."

Orihime took her broom and placed it in the closet in the kitchen.

She was going to have to wake early tomorrow and she'd better get her rest before the baby begins to stir.

_Don't worry, _Orihime mentally told her. _You'll be out soon. I know it's getting crowded in there._

Ichigo came slowly walking down the steps with Tamotsu slouched over his shoulder in one arm and his tiny dinosaur jacket in the other.

"Ready?"

Orihime pulled on her own jacket and grabbed the keys. "Yes."

**...**

"Just pull the left side up a little more... just a smidgen... perfect!"

Ichigo released a nail from between his lips and hammered it into the wall.

As he carefully maneuvered his way down the ladder, the finished product of a pink Grand Re-Opening banner hung proudly over the BabyCakes.

"Thanks, honey. It looks great!"

Tamotsu munched on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich."Thank you, daddy!" He waved a piece of paper in front of his father until he took it from his hands.

It was a drawing of a man with orange hair and a hammer in his hand. In the background, a woman and a child watched in wonder.

"Very creative!" Ichigo nodded impressively.

Tamotsu hopped from foot to foot. "Daddy builds! Look! He builds with the hammer!"

Inside, Tatsuki straightened a iron chair -which were order by Ichigo- and took a step back. "Orihime, when are we opening again?"

Orihime waddled behind the glass display window and examined a finger smudge. "A quarter to! I can't believe we've made it this far!"

Ryō's head popped out of the kitchen's swing doors. "Orihime, when do you think they will start coming? We're losing space in the kitchen with all this food stacked everywhere..."

Orihime rubbed at the smudge and huffed when she made it worse. "Dunno... later, I guess."

Tatsuki inspected the layout of the room from another corner. "Orihime. Do you think we should rearrange the tables again?" She tweaked a table to align perfectly with the one before it.

A paper towel suddenly appeared between her eyes and she took it gratefully.

Ichigo waited until she stood to kiss her. "Should I help in the kitchen or the counter?"

Of course Ichigo wanted to help- as always. He said they could really use the hype. But Orihime wasn't haven't any of it. She was sticking to the flyers the girls made and the printed custom tees. They had the logo and everything! Very official.

Tamotsu looked up from his messy PB and J sandwich. "Mommy! Cussmer! Cussmer!"

Orihime glanced up, and sure enough, a customer was coming to the door!

Frantically, she pushed the loose strand of burnt-orange behind her ear but then decided to redo her ponytail "Do you think we should let them in?"

Ichigo shrugged and went behind the counter. "Sure, why not."

The door pinged open and in walked a smart looking man in his suit and tie.

"Hi!" Orihime said brightly.

The man looked around the shop in what Orihime hoped to be approval. "...Are you guys open?"

Orihime nodded happily, her ponytail bouncing wildly behind her."Yes! Would you like a coffee?"

The customer grinned back and came up to the counter. "Absolutely."

The customer ordered an apple Danish and a coffee. He settled across the room, in one of the new iron chairs. Apparently Michiru thought it would be hip if they got pink chairs, with the fur going down the sides. Thank God Ichigo was there.

"Another customer!"

A woman with a red face bustled in with a yappy dog which made her play tug-o-war in restraining it. "Hey! I saw your flyer and I'm so glad you opened again." She tried to lift the piece of paper but the dog had other plans so she yank him back. "...Anyway. I heard that someone robbed you and thought what a coincidence because my cousin's corner shop was robbed too! On the same week!"

Orihime took the woman in with her yappy dog and beet red visage. "Erm... how... exciting!"

The woman eyed her incredulously. "Exciting? I was horrified! What if those robbers come back again?"

Ichigo placed a hand on his wife's shoulder and smile at the dog lady. "I don't think anyone would rob us twice."

The woman scooped up her dog and held it under her arm. At closer examination, Orihime could see half of the fur on the poor animal was shaved off. No wonder he was so yappy, he was cold!

The dog lady dismissed Ichigo answer with a wave. "You never know... Anyway, my niece is having her eleventh birthday in two weeks. Can I place an order?"

Orihime nodded and pulled out the forms. "Of course!"

The door gave another ping and another customer walked through the door.

"Can I offer you a coffee?" Orihime guided the dog lady over to a table and the front door pinged again. "Free if you buy a morning pastry, cinnamon bun, or bagel!"

Orihime became giddy with joy as people started coming in one by one. All of her regulars told her how hard the past months had been without her smile or pastries. Orihime would blush and simply thanked them and said she missed them all too.

Sometime, after the morning rush was over and the odd someones came in for a lunch cookie or doughnut, Orihime went upstairs to her small office. Tamotsu was downstairs in the kitchen with the girls, probably helping with punching the bread dough.

"Who's at the register?" Orihime asked before Ichigo could knock on her door.

He grinned at her consciousness stepped inside the room. "Ryō asked to take over. Feeling well?"

Being on her feet so long while be so heavily pregnant wasn't her greatest idea. So she sat down tiredly on her chair and placed her head on the desk. "I'm fine," she whispered.

Ichigo inspected a new Tamotsu's original with peanut butter smudges everywhere. If he looked past the stains, the picture of a doughnut was actually very accurate, the shadowing behind the crumbs was very realistic. "Happy?" Ichigo asked his wife and placed the picture back on her desk.

"Of course..." Orihime groaned which turned into a hunger rumble down in her stomach. "Just... tired."

"Do you want to go home and rest?"

Orihime sat up. "Nah... I'm a little hungry though."

Ichigo smiled. "Perfect." He helped her out of her chair and slipping her jacket on. "Let's go out for lunch."

The duo left the bakery and went down to the Pizza Paradise down the street. They wanted to bring Tamotsu but he insisted on finishing his cookies the shape of dinosaurs. Judging from his messy face, it looked as if he was eating more sweets than baking them. He wouldn't be needing lunch anytime soon.

"Save us a table." Ichigo said as he got into the short line.

Orihime scooted into the cushioned chairs and toyed with the little salt and pepper shakers on the table. Her stomach grumbled again and she pulled out a chocolate bar from her bag.

_"Sousuke Aizen was seen exiting an office building the other day..."_

Orihime's head shot up at the name. Hanging haphazardly in the corner of the ceiling along with an identical on the other side of the room, Aizen and men in suits were walking out of a glass office building. The building was familiar... somewhere downtown, in the city...

"He's... he's back..."

A glass of water slid in front of her and Ichigo sat down across from her with a soda in his hand. "What's that?"

Gathering her composure, Orihime told the glass of water between her hands. "Nothing..."

Ichigo lifted a brow and looked up at the screen behind him. The picture of Aizen and his men were still up while the voiceover continued speaking until she went to the next subject.

He sighed. "The trial isn't until a week from now. There's nothing to worry about."

Orihime watched the ice cubes bob in the clear water. "Ichigo... I got another letter this morning. It's postponed- again."

Orihime glanced up from the water just in time to see his hands slowly curling themselves into fists. "He's stringing us along isn't he. I'm sick of all of this rescheduling bull-"

"We aren't going to win are we?"

"Hello..." A drowsy, male voice droned. "Half cheese, half pepperoni... Enjoy..." The teen sauntered away.

"Win what?" Ichigo started when the teen was out of earshot. "You are Tamotsu's mother. Nothing can ever take that title from you." Ichigo leaned forward, smiling his dazzling smile. "We've already won."

"But-"

"No buts." His voice was stern.

Orihime nodded. "Okay... okay." She conjure up a smile and remembered that she was hungry. "God, I'm starving."

Orihime reached for the pizza but was having trouble pulling the crust apart without damaging the slice next to it. "Here, let me help." Ichigo offered and placed a cheese on her plate.

"What would I do without you?" The woman grinned sincerely as he passed her the plate.

The redhead smirked while he swallowed a bite of pepperoni. "Broken pizza, maybe."

* * *

**One and a half months later.**

* * *

Orihime sat up and clenched her teeth. "Ahhh…"

After a long forty seconds which felt like _hours_, Orihime gasped as the balling went away.

Cautiously, she laid back down and closed her eyes. It was eleven thirty... the baby wakes up around two or two thirty... It didn't feel like a kick... more like... her muscles were... they were...

"Ow! Ooww!" Orihime grabbed below her belly and curled up in a ball under the covers. Her stomach or something was cramping and twisting up. Is the baby doing this...?!

Orihime grabbed Ichigo's shoulder and shook him awake.

It took him a few seconds to realize what was happening. "What's wrong?" He sat up quickly and held her shoulders while she curled tighter. "Do you think you're in labor?" His amber eyes widened. "You're in labor!"

Orihime shook her head and closed her eyes. "…N-no…" It was over again and she began to relax.

Ichigo stood up and grasped his hair in fists. "We have to go to the hospital!"

_They going to come back._Popped up in her head.

"We have to wake up Tamotsu! No! Tatsuki's here, so she'll see after him! But they'll both want to come!"

Orihime sat up. "Um... call Yoruichi for me, please."

Not ten minutes later, Orihime was lying in bed, a glass of water in her hands and a pillow tucked against the curve of her back, watching her husband pace back and forth.

Even Tatsuki and Tamotsu awoken from all of the ruckus Ichigo was making. Tatsuki said that if Orihime wasn't worried, she wasn't either, and went back to bed. Tamotsu, on the other hand, was wide awake and now he was sitting at the foot of the bed, playing with two toy cars which he made hover in the air then crash down into each other.

"So… you don't think she's in labor?" He said into the phone.

He stopped in his tracks and nodded. "Uh-huh..."

Orihime sipped on her cold water and swallowed slowly so she could feel the chilly water going down her throat. She had figured them out! The balling- or whatever they were, came around two or three minutes apart and lasted for about forty seconds.

The pain wasn't too bad anyway. It was hardly pain at all! More of a... queasy feeling, like her stomach ate something bad and she's paying for it.

But since she's sat up and drank cold water through the balling, it isn't all as drastic as it seems.

"What did she say?" Orihime asked while Ichigo powered his phone down.

"Yoruichi said they are probably BH contractions and they'll go away in an hour or so." Sat on the edge of the bed on Orihime's side and looked into her eyes. "She said you're way too early. Maybe just a little stressed... but definitely not in labor."

Ichigo touched her stomach and began to rub it at the sight of her relieve expression. "What does it feel like?"

Orihime pushed his hand lower, just under her stomach, until he was at the right painful stop. She sighed. "Like... tight."

Ichigo lifted an orange eyebrow. "Tight?" He repeated in a question while continuingly rubbing her tummy.

"Yes. Tight. Really uncomfortable..." Orihime took another sip of her water and waited for the BH to pass. "I didn't have these with Tamotsu."

Orihime and Ichigo both stopped to look at their son. He was wearing two piece fire truck pajamas. His shaggy, dark hair drooped over his face as he made "rawr" noises with the cars.

"I still think we should go to the hospital." Ichigo said pulling her back onto subject.

"No. The trial's today and it's already been postponed three times."

Ichigo shook his head, unbelievingly. He couldn't believe she was risking her health over some egotistical asshole. "Are you sure."

Orihime nodded. "Positive."

She knew what he was thinking. She wanted to tell him that she wasn't in any danger and that she just wanted to get it all over with. This trial has been hanging over their heads long enough and Orihime was over it all.

"Are you ready?"

The woman nodded again. placing her hand atop his'. "Yes. I'm ready for whatever he can throw at me."

Tamotsu stopped playing with his toys. "Mommy?" The couple looked up. "Is the baby coming?"

"Soon, Monkey. But not yet..."

**...**

"You're going to do amazing. And whatever the outcome, it'll be in our favor."

"You really think we'll win?" Orihime asked for the hundredth time.

"Yes." Ichigo pulled her closer and kissed her intensely. "I really do."

After the kiss, her strength renewed and she smiled at her family. She hugged Tatsuki then bent down to Tamotsu's level, which, without Orihime knowing it, was higher.

"Remember," She pushed a bushel of dark hair away from his face. "You're going down to Grandpa's today."

His eyes brightened. "With Daddy and Tatsuki-san?"

Orihime nodded and leaned down some more. "Mhmm. Can I have a hug, Monkey?"

"Yes mommy!"

Across the long carpeted hall, a man watched passively at the view before him of a mother embracing her child.

His face was unreadable, but somewhere inside of him, sparked reverence and commiseration, all at once. Feelings he hasn't had for what appeared to be never.

A suited man cleared his throat. "This way, Aizen-sama. If you will." He gestured to wooden double doors.

The man turned his face away from the ineffable scene and continued through the doors.

"Mommy, are you coming?" Tamotsu asked as they broke apart.

Orihime rested her hand under her belly, which was still tightening and releasing but with no force this time. "Um... No, Monkey."

Though it seemed impossible, Tamotsu's eyes became bigger with naivety. "Can I stay with you, Mommy?"

Orihime held his cheek. "Monkey... Tamotsu... Don't cry, baby."

His brown eyes began to sparkle with upcoming tears but with a single glance at Ichigo he immediately composed himself. "I want to stay with mommy..." he said slowly so everyone could understand as if he was the adult explaining his words to children.

"But you'll see your Grandpa!" Tatsuki said cheerfully, hoping to brighten the mood. "You can tell your mommy about it afterwards, okay?"

Tamotsu rubbed under his right eye and sniffled. "Okay..."

A finger tapped Orihime on her shoulder and Osamu's lawyer-y face appeared. "We're starting."

Tatsuki took Tamotsu's hand and Ichigo went with them. The trio left her standing alone with Osamu and his legal assistant.

"Have fun!" Orihime called and wave some more. She kept her face in a fixed smile though the tightening in her belly was becoming more than uncomfortable- it was being to actually hurt.

"Mrs. Kurosaki, we must go." Osamu said urgently. "It reflects badly when you're late. Every second counts..."

Orihime, followed by Osamu and the quiet legal assistant, filed into their seats. The judge wasn't out yet and Osamu told her that there wasn't going to be a jury.

She tried her hardest, with all her might she tried not to look, but she found herself staring at Aizen. He was listening intently to his lawyer, Kaname Tōsen, wearing his shades as usual.

Aizen was listening to him. He had to be. But as the conversation wore on, Aizen's smirk grew wider and wider over his face. Then his eyes quickly flashed to hers'.

Orihime gasped and looked away. He caught her.

Osamu was discussing legal documents with the paralegal on prenups and marriages but Orihime sat there quietly, silently in pain, and waited for the trial to begin.

"He's growing rapidly."

Orihime glared up at the man from her seat. "What's it to you?"

There he was, looking immaculate as always in a blue pinstripe suit. Not a speck of dust on him.

_What a narcissistic._

Orihime looked away before he could call her examination out on her.

She tried not to show the pain in her face. The tightening was becoming more... more than, than...

His voice rumbled in a smooth chuckle. "He'll be in my care soon and I intend to monitor his development."

_"In my care soon..."_

He was that confident. It made her blood boil. Or maybe it was the pain?

"Why do you want Tamotsu so badly?" She snapped. "What does he have to offer?"

"Offer?" Aizen lifted his right eyebrow. "You believe that I want something from him."

Orihime jutted her chin firmly. "I know you're a man of opportunity."

Aizen nodded in acknowledgement to her answer, calculating. Not a hair leaving it's place with exception to that one bobbing curl. "Au contraire. I don't want _something _from him but _him_as himself. I'm a man of investment. And that's exactly what Tamotsu is."

How disgusting. He planned to make money off of her son. He was nothing but an asset to him? A _meal ticket_?

"He's a _child_." Orihime almost growled, wanting to pounce on him and rip his throat out.

Aizen considered. "Today, yes. But I will rely on my offspring. Not everyone is immortal." His voice was steely. Like he just sliced her to piece when it was her who wanted to tear him apart. "I wish you all the best in today's trial."

Then it began. Aizen gave his testimony and she gave hers.

Aizen's argument was simply that he shouldn't be denied the chance to know his son. That he was capable to care for him with or without a mother. That him as a parent alone was sufficient.

Orihime, breathing deeply, in and out, the whole time, knowing full now that her argument wasn't as strong, pleaded that Tamotsu didn't need him. That he hadn't taken an interest in him in four years. And now, there's no point in knowing his real dad because Ichigo was suffice. He was more than that- he was, is, amazing.

The same judge sat quietly, listening though it looked like he was sleeping. The skin around his eyes looking droopier than the last time she saw him.

Sometime, sometime during it all, Orihime couldn't take it anymore. The pain that is.

It intensified, turning from the tightening of her muscles to the feeling of really bad menstrual cramps.

They felt like... but she was only thirty four weeks, nowhere near her due date... but...

The judge had left the court for some time and returned, taking his time sitting down in his bench. His voice grumbled and he licked his chops before speaking. "I have come to my final verdict-"

"Excuse me-" Orihime raised her hand quickly. "Excuse me, can I just have a second. Please... Your honor..."

The courtroom was quiet and Orihime hoped she didn't make the wrong decision by interrupting.

After the longest the seconds of her life, the Judge spoke:

"Fine. We'll take a five minute recess and regroup." He banged his gavel and got down from his bench.

Orihime stood up quickly, almost knocking her wooden chair down.

"Orihime!" Osamu called out to her as she stumbled out of the room.

When out of the stuffy courtroom her eyes scanned down both sides of the hallway. She nearly cried out in relief when she saw the ladies room sign.

The contractions were getting tighter and tighter- almost like the real thing.

Orihime stood in front of the bathroom mirror. Her eyes were still a little blotchy from all of the rubbing and the tip of her nose was red.

She could have really used that sleep.

Her face was so flushed and sweaty. The pain was just too much...

Maybe she should have gone to the hospital.

Orihime slowly brought her hand down to the giant bulge causing her pain, as if if she moved too fast, she'd collapse.

_It's okay_, she mentally whispered to her baby._ You can come out now, if you want..._

Kaname Tōsen tapped his expensive leather shoes on the floor in frustration. "May we proceed?" He glanced at his watch and huffed. "Where is Mrs. Kurosaki?"

"I'm here." Orihime walked up the front of the room, moving as fast as she under the her circumstances.

"Can we continue, Mrs. Kurosaki?" the judge asked her politely. Orihime nodded gratefully and wiped the top of her sweaty forehead.

"I'm fine."

Again, the judge gave a grumble and was back to his drowsy self. "Orihime Kurosaki will be granted sole legal custody."

The corners of Osamu's mouth turned up a notch and he nodded appreciatively.

"And I'm granting Sousuke Aizen unsupervised visitation rights."

That's when it crashed- not just her world, but a loud splash that made everyone turn their heads.

Orihime leaned forward and rocked against the table for balance. She gritted her teeth through the hurt. "Your… your honor…"

The judge turned a drowsy head towards her and sighed, irritated. "Yes, Mrs. Kurosaki?" After seeing what was before him, Orihime saw the judge opened his eyes wide for the first time during the trial.

"…I think my water just broke…"

* * *

**Again, I'm really sorry about the delay. But **_**please**_** tell me what you think about this chapter! It was approximately 6,700 words and I worked so hard! I felt like the past chapters were missing something, so I hope this ****one captured your attentions again!**

**Thanks, and I'll try to be on time next week! Happy New Year!**

**Rocka.**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** Sorry for posting so late. Rough night and real life, ya know. But Orihime's baby is here! Keep reading, keep reading! I won't spoil anything!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Bleach, all rights go to Kubo.

* * *

Tatsuki finished outlining her picture of a turtle with a green crayon. She sat up and shrugged indifferently when she noticed that a few green strokes crossed the thick, black line that made the curve on the reptile's back.

The tom-boy leaned over the kitchen table to see what the child had conjured up on his paper.

"What are you doing?" Tatsuki asked, only catching a glance of the drawing from her inverted position.

Tamotsu's pink tongue darted out from the corner of his mouth, his brow fall inward in deep focus, a trait of concentration he undoubtedly inherited from his mother. "Drawing a picture of mommy..."

Tatsuki pushed up on her chair until it balanced on its front two legs to get a better view. "What's that?" She tapped her finger on the peach colored blob with green and purple surrounded it.

"The baby." Tamotsu muttered. Irritation accompanied his voice with frustration. But he remembered to not raise his voice because his daddy said that Grandpa needed his rest because his heart was hurting.

Tamotsu twirled the paper until it faced the women and tapped each image on at a time. "This is mommy." Tatsuki could make that much out. It was Orihime with her unmistakable hair and large grey eyes, very exaggerated. "That's daddy, and me." At the corner was obviously Ichigo and Tamotsu. But the one thing that bothered her was the swirling colorful thing Orihime was holding...

Tatsuki squinted at the mass. "It looks more like... Oh! Oh, the baby!" Tatsuki nodded, remembering that Tamotsu though babies came from a garden in the womb. "I see it now." He had such a vivid imagination, it was almost frightening.

Tamotsu looked back down at the picture with nonchalance and using a blue crayon, filled in the sky.

Ichigo stomped through the kitchen a few minutes later, opening and closing the refrigerator huffily, making all of the bottles and containers rattle together. He slipped his phone out of his pocket, sighed, and shoved it back down into it's warm pouch.

"Still stressing about calling her?" Tatsuki called from the kitchen table.

Ichigo grumbled and torn open a bag cereal just to have a few suppressed pieces fly all across the counter.

His attention caught, Tamotsu watched his father ready a bowl of _Captain Crunch Berries _and sit down at the kitchen table, sulking.

"I don't want to interrupt." Ichigo finally said after a spoonful or two. "And I just can't call in the middle of the trial process. It'll 'reflect badly' and portray Orihime as an 'careless' parent." Ichigo lifted his hand tiredly and made quotation gestures with his two fingers.

"What a load of-" Curiosity flashed through Tamotsu's face almost willing his father to dare say a bad word.

Ichigo stared back uneasily and huffed again. "...Baloney."

"When they're done, she'll call you." Tatsuki said from the kitchen counter, pulling out the contents for peanut butter and jelly. "Has she called yet?"

Ichigo sat back in his chair, disgusted with his now soggy cereal. "No."

A plate appeared in front of Tamotsu, smelling of wheat, preserves, and peanuts. He smiled greedily and took a large bite out of one half of the sandwich.

"Then they're not done." Tatsuki stated as she set a cup of water by Tamotsu's plate which he happily sipped to remove the peanut butter from sticking to the top of his throat and in between where his missing tooth once dwelled.

"I'm sure Orihime is fine. She's a big girl." Tatsuki said matter-of-factly. "I believe that's what she's trying to prove by doing this alone."

Ichigo left the table and dumped the sodden cereal down the sink's drain.

Was it a crime to worry about his wife?

When had it became frowned upon that a man should feel concern for his women?

After much thought, Ichigo shook his head and retired to the living room's sofa. Orihime wasn't in any imminent danger. And if she was, there would be a bleeping message on his phone by now...

**...**

Orihime painfully waddled through the automatic sliding doors, moving as quickly as she could. She felt like an oversized duck trying to scuttle its way to the river.

Of course, the pain wasn't a walk in the park either.

Once she reached the desk, it didn't take long to grab the receptionist's attention with her labored breathing. "Ha-hi... Could I see a doctor please? It's urgent."

The receptionist peeked over the counter to see Orihime's protruding belly. Her face went through several emotions zigzagging from confusion to realization to professionalism. "Oh! Oh, yes!" The nurse rolled back in her chair and produced a collection of papers. "Could you just wait right there, fill out these forms and one will be with you and your husband in a minute."

_Husband?_

The pregnant woman's face reddened and she cautiously glanced over her shoulder as she suddenly became aware of a warm presence behind her.

Aizen's face sat completely still at the receptionist's comment, though his large hand, which supported her back, stiffened ever so slightly.

Orihime shook her head as she turned back to the desk. "N-no... he's not..." But the woman, now inconveniently speaking into a phone, wasn't paying attention anymore.

Orihime grabbed the forms off of the counter and glanced back up at Sousuke again. He was staring back down at his phone, frowning.

...Now that Orihime realized it... Sousuke helped her journey from the courtroom all the way to the hospital.

His hand never left her backside since the moment her water broke, he was there, from one side of the room to the other, somehow, immediately, and when they entered the car -which Orihime now remembered as _his _car-, talking on the phone furiously, his hand never left, and up to now.

Now, Orihime wanted to protest, but his hand was firm and gentle. Supporting the back pain. She wasn't going to mind... at least at the moment she wasn't.

Aizen's firm hand guided her away from the counter and into the waiting area.

Last time Orihime was in labor, the hospital gave her a wheelchair and took her immediately to the examination room and was soon moved to the delivery room.

This time around, she was given paperwork which needed to be filled out. Which was fine and dandy but she was in _labor_!

Orihime wrote down each answer quickly, only stopping and squeezing her small hand around the pen when a contraction presented itself.

She blew out hot air and Aizen's strong fingers pushed against her spine, massaging and kneading, relieving any pain as the contraction subsided.

"Hello, Mrs. Kurosaki." Unohana's kind face smiled down at the pregnant woman.

Orihime was thankful to see a familiar that yanked her out of the tension growing between the duo. She shook her hand gladly and, to her embarrassment, needed Aizen's help standing up.

"Hello, Dr. Unohana. Ready for round two?"

Unohana chuckled at the banter and seized the papers Orihime held and pulled out a few files of her own. "You don't need to finish filling this out." Unohana tucked the papers in her clipboard. "I have your paperwork right here."

As if she hadn't noticed him before, for Unohana was very perceptive, she lifted her eyebrow slightly at Sousuke Aizen then gathered them into the hall. "Come this way."

Orihime learned that if she was around Unohana, it'd be best to try to catch all her little innuendos, remarks, slights and looks which were always coated sugar, throwing her opponent off track.

Just like her chemistry with Ichigo the day she had Tamotsu. It was odd, a little awkward almost. The air didn't feel right between then and Ichigo reluctantly spoke around her.

Orihime continued waddling down the hall, Aizen's strong hand on her back, trying not to think too hard about it.

Orihime needed to stay focused. She was going to have a baby after all.

**...**

They made Orihime change into a hospital gown and forced her to take a few test to see how far along she was, which was ridiculous because if anyone one of those nurses knew what the pain of labor felt like, they'd understand that she wanted it out then and there. What was the point of those stupid tests anyway?

Orihime stared warily at the IV connected to her arm. Already they've injected her with a bunch of different drugs because she was preterm. They've already monitored her blood pressure, the baby's blood pressure, their breathing. She needed rest though from all the commotion and ruckus and from the movement inside her, Orihime could tell her baby girl was enjoying the attention. "Can a make a call...?"

Unohana finished disconnecting Orihime from the heart rate machine. "In a second." She said and scrawled a few notes down on her clipboard.

... And, Orihime might had left her purse in the courtroom. On her way over to the hospital, she searched for her bag to call Ichigo, but it wasn't anywhere in sight. It normally hung loosely on her arm, but instead of a bag, there a was Sousuke.

"I really have to contact my hus-"

Unohana dismissed her words. "From our test, you are currently in active labor." Unohana looked up from her clipboard. "When did early labor start again?"

Orihime rubbed under her belly and breathed through another contraction. "Sometime last night... around, I don't know... Eleven o'clock."

Unohana nodded and in walked another nurse. "Are you getting the epidural? So we can prepare?"

Orihime shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She's heard of the process of epidurals, reading baby and mother forums online when the house was sleeping. She wasn't too fond of the thought of having needles going through her back. In fact, it was quite repulsive. "I wasn't planning on it..."

Unohana said she understood her concern and explain to Orihime that the needles actually didn't hurt at all.

Orihime wanted to ask if she even gotten the epidural before, but bit her tongue for her words would had seemed rude and offensive.

The doctor drew attention to the nurse who waited patiently in the corner. Unohana rested her hand on her shoulder and introduced the young girl. "This is Emiko. She's here to check your cervix."

Emiko was small girl as opposed to Isane, who, surprisingly, wasn't in sight. Emiko had blonde roots and huge eyes, like the way a fish goggles at humans in their fishbowls then swim away, frightened by an intruding finger tapping on the glass home.

Emiko waved giddily at Orihime. "Hi!"

"Hi..."

To be honest, Orihime wasn't so sure about her. Maybe it was her blonde roots or fish-face, but she seemed young and inexperienced. This out Orihime at an unease.

Emiko put on her latex gloves and got to work. Orihime didn't dare look at Aizen. He was looking down at his phone again but he knew that she knew that he wasn't really paying attention to what was on that screen.

"This is my first actual delivery on the job!" Emiko said happily while still working down under. "This is so exciting!" The young girl sat up and looked over Orihime's knees to see her face. I could not have been possible but her fish-eyes grew wider. "Does it hurt?"

"Emiko..." Unohana's pleasant voice filled the room though they all knew her words weren't meant to sound nice. "Please, get back to work."

The young girl's face paled and she ducked down between Orihime's knees again.

"Oh, right..."

After a few more seconds of probing and feeling she sat back up and pulled her latex gloves off. "All done! You're six centimeter dilated and eighty percent effaced, really thin. Wow, I think it'll be coming soon... you're moving along quickly."

Orihime was still unsure about the young girl, so she looked up at her doctor. "Unohana?"

Unohana smiled sweetly. "You'll be fine," she assured.

Orihime didn't know every muscle in her body was tense because when she relaxed back down on the bed, her body felt weaker than it was before. But the weakness didn't last long, after another contraction passed, she felt her body pump its strength back, preparing for the delivery of her baby.

"Okay..." Orihime took a deep breath. "Can I make that phone call now...?"

**...**

Tamotsu had grown bored.

He tired of playing ball with Tatsuki and the endless, meaningless coloring. He could only be told he could draw well so many times.

Tamotsu stared at Kon, lying motionless on the floor. The child picked him up and hugged the orange lion tightly. He could always count on his plushie best friend.

Ichigo sat on the old family couch. He had just gotten off the phone with Karin. She called again to talk to Isshin but Ichigo put her off, telling Karin that their dad was sleeping and he needed his rest.

To his chagrin, Karin then lectured him on treating Orihime right. She told him that next time he sees her, if she looks the slightest bit upset at his expense, she would personally rip him to shreds.

"Daddy, play hide and seek with me!"

"Not now Tamotsu..." Ichigo said as he placed the phone back into its base. He was mentally exhausted at this point. Worrying about Orihime was exhausting. Worrying about his dad was exhausting. Speaking to Karin, which normally calm him, had become exhausting. He was in no way, shape or form or in the mood to play hide and seek.

Tamotsu stuffed Kon under one hand and tugged at his father's pants with the other. "Play ball with me? Hide and seek?"

"Tamotsu, I can't." Ichigo massaged the bridge of his nose, knowing that no matter how hard he rubbed, his headache wasn't going away. Not knowing the state his wife was in was killing him inside.

Tamotsu's seem that gesture before. When daddy held his nose like that, it meant that daddy needed alone time. Alone time to think of get his papers and job done. That's how mommy explained it to him.

The child cocked his head to the side, like a bird. Maybe mommy was the problem... If mommy wasn't here, than she had to be somewhere... right?

"Is mommy okay?" The child asked his father.

Ichigo looked down at the boy. He placed Kon back up to his chest and hugged the damned stuffed animal close. Ichigo sighed. "Mommy's fine." Ichigo grabbed his son by the waist and set him on his lap. "She's alright." Tamotsu nodded and Ichigo did too, secretly reassuring himself more than his son.

As if some higher entity answered their prayers, Ichigo phone vibrated and he snatched it up before looking at the ID. "Hello?"

A recognizable female voice answered. "Ichigo?"

"Orihime!"

Ichigo heart thumped against his chest, nearly ripping the layers between bone and skin to burst through his breast. "Where are you? Is the baby okay?"

"It's... I'm... I'm in the... Karakura Hospital."

The man slipped the boy off his lap and stood. "...Did something go wrong...?"

There was a momentary silence and Ichigo began to worry that there really was something wrong. His fears were true! As clumsy as Orihime was maybe she slipped and fell, or bumped in to a desk really hard. Maybe there was a car crash and- Oh God he didn't want to think about it.

"No... We're both fine... I'm... I am in labor."

Ichigo grasped his orange hair. "Christ! We-we got to go!" He scooped up Tamotsu and called up the stairs for Isshin and for Tatsuki to get the infant car seat. "We'll be there in a minute." He said into the phone and heard Orihime's muffled laughter.

Orihime sighed tiredly into the phone and giggled some more. "Get here soon... I don't want you to miss this."

"Okay!" Ichigo headed for the door, Tamotsu's legs were wrapped around his waist, clinging onto his father's shirt. "Um... We have to go! And you have to... you just relax! Okay?" Ichigo mentally smacked himself when he realized that the their baby bag was at home.

"Yes, okay." Orihime nodded, amused by the commotion going on at the other end of the line. "And Ichigo?"

"Huh? Yes?" he huffed as he cradled the phone between his shoulder and ear while simultaneously tucking Tamotsu into his booster chair.

Orihime listen to his labored breathing for a few seconds. If she didn't know any better, she'd say he was the one about the delivery a baby. "Get here soon... I love you."

Ichigo barked a few more orders in the background. "Love you too," were the last words he said.

Orihime heard the line go dead and the sizzle of static that followed after.

Orihime lowered her arm onto the bed and stared at Aizen's Iphone. After endless phone complaints, he let her borrow his'. It was very nice of him. It made her realize that he wasn't _that _bad of a man... She means... he did have feelings for her once before, didn't he?

Aizen still sat quietly in a chair in the corner of the room. The nurses still thought that he was the father so he was allowed to stay in the delivery room thus this far.

When he saw that she was finished with his phone he walked over and waited as she handed it back.

Orihime placed it softly in the palm of his hand and spoke before he could walk away.

"Sousuke... Th-"

"I'll leave when he gets here." He said, meeting her eye but she looked away before their orbs could fasten.

Orihime gave him a faint smile and a tiny nod, holding her head down to hide her blush.

He didn't want to thanked.

If this was his way of apologizing to atone for his past mistakes. A way to redeem himself, Orihime would take it.

It seemed out of place that Aizen would apologize for anything he's done. Maybe he wasn't an apology, but compensation.

Compensation for taking her son away, he'll help to assure her daughter comes into this world safely.

**...**

Ichigo hit the steering wheel roughly, regretting it when a mild pain stung back up his hand. "What the hell!" He shouted and added pressure to the honker.

Tatsuki rolled her eyes at the man's road rage. "Ichigo, calm down. It's rush hour."

He gripped the wheel until his knuckles turned white. "We aren't going to make it in time," he growled

Tamotsu bounced Kon in his lap. The child threw him up in the air and caught him. Tamotsu remembered when his daddy would throw him in the air and his mommy would be really scared. "...Daddy, I want to see mommy."

"You'll see her soon."

Tamotsu looked up from Kon and out the window. There was a car right next to them. It was black and shiny. Tamotsu had a race car like that one... "And the baby?"

Ichigo took a deep breath. The baby. He needed to focus on the baby. "Yes, the baby too." Ichigo answered.

_Please, baby. _Ichigo thought._ Wait until I get there..._

**...**

_Baby, _Orihime pleaded._ Please wait. Please wait until your father gets here._

Emiko puffed up her cheeks then blew out hot air. "Breath in... and out." Orihime mimicked her. The pain had gotten worse, but not too bad. Not as bad as Tamotsu's was. And she and Ichigo had discussed it before that they weren't going to compare the second pregnancy with the first, but it proved hard to do.

But the baby was coming soon. Orihime could feel it. They moved her to the delivery room. Already she's been in the hospital for an hour. Maybe two. But that didn't matter. She only wanted Ichigo to be present, or at least in the building. She didn't want him running through the door, all happy, waiting to see the birth of his baby girl to only find his wife already holding their bundle of joy.

Orihime could see it now, the disappointment on his face and how the scene would play out:

_"Oh, Ichigo, I, um... I might of had your baby while you were on your way down here... Sorry."_

"Good." Emiko said slowly, bringing her back out of her reverie, and continued the breathing.

They said that the baby was dropping fast and that it wasn't going to be so hard to deliver because the baby is very small.

Orihime knew that these facts were facts and their reassuring tones were meant to calm her, but the whole thing scared her. Wasn't delivery supposed to be difficult? These doctors weren't soothsayers, psychics, or fortune tellers. They couldn't see the future.

She was preterm, her baby small, it was all scary. Yoruichi mentioned the complications that tagged along with preemie babies. No parent would want this for their child.

"Hubby, do you want to try too?" Emiko asked innocently making Orihime head snap back up.

Aizen still stood in the corner, like an impeccable marble statue. Except, his eyes would flicker now and then.

As if it was possible, he became even more rigid at Emiko's question. "No thank you."

Emiko smiled and took his head, bringing him over to the bed.

"Come on. I'm sure your wife would appreciate it."

Aizen's eyes went from the nurse to Orihime, to her belly, lingering there before flickering back to the nurse.

Orihime shook her head disbelievingly. _He's not going to do it... He's probably too used to being on his high horse to jump off now..._

A deep blowing noise came from Aizen's direction.

Orihime couldn't believe her eyes.

_He's doing it!_

Orihime watched as Aizen's lips formed an O, exhaling, and inhaling, sucking the air back in, the tense muscles in his neck relaxing, his chest slowing rising and falling.

Seeing his body in such a relaxed state reminded Orihime of the night she left him. How she scurried off like a rat when the sun came up, trying to forget her previous deeds that the night dissected and protected.

Emiko clapped her hands. "That's good! Now together you two."

Like a maestro directing an orchestra, Emiko waved her hands in the air lifting them when the duo inhaled and lowering when they exhaled.

Orihime took a chance and looked into Aizen's eyes. He was already watching her, the chocolate of his iris' swirling about until the solidified, locking her in with it.

"This is fun!" Emiko exclaimed in delight, oblivious to the moment of chemistry between the man and woman.

They went on like that for pulsing seconds which felt like ticking eternity, being caged in Aizen's eyes, unable to let go. A contraction went by, maybe two. Orihime didn't feel them.

Emiko squealed again, assaulting Orihime's ears, making her blink and rejoin the living world, when one of her nurse beepers began to flash. "I'll be right back!"

Orihime didn't understand what happened next. She guessed that since she didn't feel the past contraction that all came back up at once, punishing her for not acknowledging their function.

The pregnant woman shouted at the top of her lungs, stymieing Emiko's journey to the door and Aizen's synchronized blowing. She could no longer ignore the pain.

The baby was coming- _now_.

She just hoped to God that Ichigo would get there in time.

**...**

"Is there any way we can wait?" Orihime said drowsily.

Reluctantly, she asked for the epidural. She read in one of the pregnancy forums that it slows down labor. It honestly didn't hurt that bad! Just for a second at least. She was more concentrated on the pain of her contractions than the needle.

Unfortunately, the labor hardly slowed! The baby was coming, and it was close to crowning and Ichigo wasn't in the building yet...

"Push on three." Unohana asked politely and counted down.

Orihime wanted her out, the baby. But she had to admit, she wasn't pushing with all her might. She wasn't ready. Ichigo wasn't present.

"Kurosaki. You can do better than that." Orihime couldn't see her but she knew Dr. Unohana knew that she was prolonging it all. "Can I please have a big push on three?"

Another contraction passed by, hardly noticed, Orihime wasn't ready to let go. She didn't want to deliver yet... It didn't feel right without him.

"Push with the contraction." Unohana instructed as another passed through. This one shattered the effect of the epidural, squeezing every inch of resolve out of her.

Orihime's hand flew up to grasp something, anything.

She found something smooth and soft. It felt like a silk clad sleeve, so she groped her way down his arm until she found a hand.

She grasped it hard, and didn't let go.

She didn't look at him. Her eyes focused on the doctor under her. "Don't leave me." She whispered.

Aizen's lips tighten into a hard line.

Orihime gave another push, silently cursing herself for betraying Ichigo.

This betrayal... did she feel this hurt because she's having the baby _against _her will? Or because she was grasping the hand of the man she was supposed to hate because she _wanted _to...?

Orihime pushed again while another contraction rocked through her bottom half. Suddenly, without warning, a nurse was shouting at someone at the door.

"Sorry, we can't allow you in here at this time!" It was the receptionist from earlier, blocking someone from the entrance.

Orihime craned her neck to see the ruckus. There was more muffled shouting then Orihime heard his voice yell: "I'm her husband!"

"Ichigo?" Orihime's eyes began to tear up. "Yes he's my husband."

The receptionist stepped aside, after making a split decision. Her face boiling red from the heated argument.

"She has _two _husbands!" Emiko shouted frantically. Her fish-eyes switching back and forth between the two good-looking men standing at her bedside.

Ichigo kissed her and squeezed her flushed cheeks. "You're doing great, hun!"

He was breathing hard, from either running or arguing with the receptionists, she didn't know.

Ichigo wiped her sweating forehead and told her that Tamotsu, Isshin and Tatsuki were all here. He said he wouldn't have missed this for the word.

Ichigo kissed her again then glanced up at the man on the other side of the bed. "What the hell is he doing here?" The man snarled.

Orihime groaned at the pain as a contraction presented itself again. "Not now, Ichigo."

Holding both of their hands, the woman pushed again, and again. With each exertion of force, the man right's presence shrunk more and more, his heat becoming less and less.

Orihime held on tight, giving the right man's hand a squeeze.

"Don't go," she whispered again.

"I won't." Ichigo answered her and kissed her on the cheek again. "I'm not going anywhere."

Though her husband answered, the question wasn't meant for him. The man on the right stayed, but only for a little while longer... his heat began decreasing again.

Orihime pushed again, feeling that the thickest part was out. Orihime could feel her travelling downward. _We're almost there..._She pushed again, without the help of contractions and took a deep breath. A push once more and Orihime could feel her slip out and into the expert hands of Unohana.

Slowly, the grip on the right hand loosened as Orihime focused on her baby girl's rickety shrieks. The heat, the warmth from the right became nothing but a spark.

Ichigo wrapped his arms around his wife "God, you did it." He kissed her forehead and then her lips. "I love you," he whispered and she said the same.

The nurses took her immediately to an examination table, cleaning and clearing her off.

Her cries stopped as her throat was cleaned and eyes wiped. In the meantime, Dr. Unohana had Orihime delivery the afterbirth, a process Orihime neither needed or cared for to remember

It took a few minutes in the cold before they wrapped a blanket around her. Her crying died down, just an octave or two.

Orihime craned her neck to see what they were doing to her. Finally, Emiko turned around and gently handed her baby to her.

Orihime placed her baby on her chest and hugged her.

She was as beautiful and beautiful babies get. She had only the tiniest wisps of light brown hair on her head, but her eyes weren't open.

"And what should we call you?" Orihime asked her daughter.

Ichigo cleared his throat and Orihime looked up at him expectantly. "I, um... I thought this one sounded nice... Hitomi?"

"Hitomi..." Orihime considered the name. "What does it mean?"

"I don't know... I never got around to figuring that much out..."

Orihime nodded and for a moment Ichigo thought she would dismiss it, but after looking at her scrunched up face again, it fit.

"I love it."

Ichigo perked up, surprised. "You do?"

Orihime hugged Hitomi again. "Mhmm. It just fits... Ichigo, Orihime, Tamotsu, Hitomi. See?"

Ichigo nodded and bit his lip. They sat again in silence and stared at the squirming Hitomi.

"Orihime…" Ichigo whispered nudging her neck, placing a few more kisses on her cheek. "Will you... Will you marry me again?"

At this point, Emiko had seemed to give up on the affair. It was all too confusing at this point.

Orihime stared into Ichigo's amber eyes. She hesitantly looked to her right, the heat completely gone, vanished. The woman looked back at her husband and nodded, her voice too hoarse to speak.

Ichigo pushed her two bands back onto her ring finger. Thicker tears crawled down her cheeks. Just seeing those simple rings, symbolizing everything her and her husband were, are, and will be, made her so emotional. Orihime's throat became drier than before.

They smiled at each other then looked down at their new edition to the family.

The baby girl wriggled her nose and made coughing sounds. Her mouth opened over and over again, but nothing, no sound, escaped.

Orihime pulled the blanket down on her face to get a better view. "What's wrong?" She asked her daughter sweetly and playfully. "Hungry?".

The baby made a twisted face and coughed again, a weird gagging noise finally breaking through.

_Her face… is she… is she choking…?_

Orihime grabbed onto Ichigo's shirt. "…Ichigo… I don't hear her…"

Ichigo leaned in closer to examine her facial expression. "I... I don't-"

"I don't hear her, Ichigo." Orihime began to panic. Her face twisted again and she gagged. "I can't hear her."

Before Orihime knew it, gloved hands came and snatched her baby away.

"We have to take her to the NICU." Unohana explained as she placed her daughter in a cage like contraption and pushed her away.

Orihime tugged on her husband's shirt tighter. "...Ichigo?"

He took her hand, kissed it and gave it a pat. "I'll go with them." He said reassuringly. "These are professionals. They know what they're doing."

Orihime struggled to sit up again and watched as they walked out the door.

"Ichigo, don't let her out of your sight…."

* * *

**Thanks for another week guys! I had to cut this chapter short because I was reaching my deadline. But the parts that are cut will go into next week.**

**So, what do you think about the name Hitomi? I think it fits, but maybe not. Tell me your thoughts! Tell me, tell me!**

**Lol. See you guys next week!**

**Rocka.**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:**This chapter is basically part two to chapter 17. We have so much more to uncover from our new addition to our Kurosaki family.

**Disclaimer:** Sadly, I make no money from this story. This is a disclaimer, people!... I don't own Bleach.

* * *

A box.

A transparent square-shaped box.

Neonatal intensive care unit... lungs... feeding reflex... coordination... weight gain...

Words... Words that meant everything, and nothing, all at once.

The father stared down at his daughter through the incubator.

The nurses tunneled a thin tube down Hitomi's nose. Patches, connecting on her stomach, lead to more wires and monitors.

All Ichigo could do was watch.

**...**

Her hands trembled from the chill that glazed over them.

Orihime curled her fingers and made her hands into tiny fists.

Two minutes... she held her baby for two whole minutes...

The mother took a deep breath and told herself to calm down. She was in a hospital. No matter what, Hitomi was safe. Ichigo was with her. She had to be safe.

Orihime blinked her eyes.

Her mouth was moving, reciting something over and over again.

"Breathing..." Orihime mumbled.

The mother wrapped her arms around her waist and gradually rocked. "...She couldn't breathe...She wasn't breathing..."

Unohana knocked gently on the door then walked though the threshold. She crossed the room and sat on the end of Orihime's bed.

Orihime stopped her mumbling and watched Dr. Unohana smile and wait for her incoherent mutters to cease.

"We've taken Hitomi to the NICU, where she'll be treated with the utmost care by our extensively trained nurses and practitioners." Unohana reported back in a cool, professional voice.

The woman squeezed her fists tighter. _"Will... will she live?"_Orihime wanted to ask, but she daren't say it.

"Yes, Hitomi will live." Unohana answered her calmly. Having dealt with situations as these before, she's become an expert on defusing a mother's anxiety. "Premature babies at thirty-four gestation," Unohana continued, "in Hitomi's case, thirty-four and four days, have very high chances of surviving."

Orihime digested the information. She needed to speak to Ichigo, to hold him and cry on him. She wanted to touch her child, her Hitomi. Why did they take her so far away?

Two minutes. Orihime wanted, needed two more...

"Can..." Orihime took a moment to attempt to gulp down the lump that presented itself in the back of her dry throat. "Can hold her?"

Unohana's blue eyes drooped with pity and sorrow. "Not at the moment, no. You need your rest and will be permitted to see her in the morning."

Unohana stood from the bed and poured Orihime a glass of water into a paper cup, sitting on the stand at her bedside. She handed the woman the paper cup and the mother sipped it gratefully.

"I want to see her now..." Orihime finally croaked, her throat a little less dry.

Unohana smiled her kind smile. "Mrs. Kurosaki. I'm the doctor." The doctor leaned over and placed her hand on top of Orihime's. "I am here to help."

**...**

The bright green line slowly went up then dipped down.

The monitor, to her left, tracked her heart rate. A different contraption, some sort of ventilator, helped her to breath. More monitors and pulse meters... A nurse, trained to handle "demoralized" fathers, explained the whole process to him. Ichigo zoned in and out, his eyes following the tubes and equipment. Seeing his vulnerable child caused his heart to wrench more and more.

If... If...

_No. _Ichigo thought firmly. _No more "If"s. What's done is done and I can't change the past, no matter how badly I want to._

Isane smiled at the father and captured his attention again. "I know this is overwhelming, but it not as bad as it seems..." The nurse reassured. "She is progressing along well. Just a few more milestones she'll need to pass if she's to be released."

Ichigo swallowed nothing out of nervousness. "Could I have... Could I have a moment with her, please?"

In the corner of the doorway, a man loomed in the background, watching the monitors and zip up and down, side to side with information intently. Surprising himself, he let out a sigh of relief. Then straightening himself, he watched the silver haired nurse and orange haired father.

Isane nodded understanding his predicament. "Of course." She checked over Hitomi once more then gave Ichigo a bow.

"Call if problems arise or if any equipment begins to act differently."

After the tall nurse left, it was just the father and his daughter again.

The man and the box.

Ichigo clenched his teeth.

Her symptoms weren't fatal. She just needed to work on her respiration and body temperature, along with a few other minor complications that accompanied preemies. The steroid shots injected into Orihime would have passed on to Hitomi by now, helping her to clear her lungs. Hitomi would survive.

Ichigo knew all of this. But deep down inside it hurt him. He couldn't touch her. Not yet he couldn't.

He wanted to hold her, to feel her warm, fresh skin. To touch her light brown hair. His first and only child... his Hitomi.

And after everything... the one obstacle that prohibited Ichigo from holding his only child...

Was a glass box.

**...**

Changed into a fresh gown and socks, Orihime laid in her bed, counting the seconds until she could hold her baby.

Someone knocked on the door. Orihime prayed that it wasn't Dr. Unohana. She meant well, she really did. But already the doctor has visited Orihime twice, each time coaxing her to sleep.

"I don't want to sleep, damn it!" Orihime wanted to shout at her. "I want to see my baby!"

One time too many, Orihime had had her baby taken from right under her. She couldn't bare it again. The mother knew that Hitomi was alright, but the more and more they stayed apart, Orihime's mind made wild accusations, causing her to make worst case scenarios in her mind.

_What if Hitomi's incubator was defective?_

_What if Hitomi's heart had gave out in the middle of the night and no one told her?  
_  
_What if _

_What if someone _stole_ her?!_

There were louder murmurs and another knock. The door creaked open and Orihime squeezed her eyes shut and stood as still as possible so Unohana would think she was sleeping.

"Mommy?"

Orihime turned over in the blanket and faced the door.

Tamotsu remained at the threshold. His small shape a beacon of joy in Orihime's heart.

"Mommy!" He said more certainly and Orihime beckoned him.

He was weary at first when she lifted him onto the bed, knowing full well that he wasn't supposed to be there.

Orihime praised him in her mind at such a well-behaved and self-controlled boy he was.

"I missed you Monkey."

She kissed him on the cheek and hugged him tight.

Tamotsu finally relaxed and sunk into his mother's embrace. "I miss you too mommy." He rewarded her with a grin along with the hollow space where his missing tooth stood out.

The duo sat quietly for a few minutes, relishing in each other's warmth.

Tamotsu knew something was wrong with his mommy, but he didn't disturb her. He held onto the arm that wrapped around him and he allowed her to cling to him.

"Oh my God!" Someone shouted spoiling the moment. Mother and son looked up to see Tatsuki running down the hall past the open door. She came back round and stopped at the doorway. Clutching her chest, she huffed in relief. "I thought I lost you!"

Tatsuki made her way to the bed, her face softening as she approached. "I'm sure you would have killed me if I lost your son."

Orihime pushed Tamotsu's hair back on his forehead so she could see his full, round face. "He'll always find his way to me. Isn't that right?"

Tamotsu shook his head, making all off his dark curls tumble back. Tatsuki-san and his mommy began speaking to each other. Tamotsu glanced from face to face. Tatsuki said that Grandpa Isshin was at home and Karin-obasan and Yuzu-obasan were on their way... Daddy was in the building somewhere... Someone was missing.

Tamotsu twisted in his mother's arms and noticed the flatness of her belly.

"Mommy... where's the baby?"

The women stopped in mid-sentence to stare at the child.

His innocent face stared up at his mother, almost demanding Tamotsu wanted to know. That was why they were all there, right? Daddy promised that he'd see the baby soon. And in his pocket was the picture he drew for her. The one where she was nestled in a bunch of leaves in mommy's garden...Tamotsu demanded to know. Where was his baby sister?

Orihime licked her dry lips. She could see in her son's eyes, with all of its determination, that she couldn't dismiss his question. He had a right to know after all.

"….Tamotsu... the baby, Hitomi, is sick." Orihime paused when she saw his dark eyes widen. "...She's not feeling well and the doctors are giving her medicine."

"Sick...?"

The mother nodded and kissed his cheek again, "She's going to be okay. Okay?"

"Excuse me." Dr. Unohana stood rigid in front of the doorway, a smile on her face. Orihime could no longer tell if it was genuine or artificial. "Mrs. Kurosaki needs her rest... we aren't allowing visitors at the moment."

The doctor's eyes took in Tamotsu and Tatsuki, her professional face relaxing just a bit.

Orihime bit her lip. "They... can they see Hitomi?"

Orihime knew begging them to stay was a lost cause, but if they could see Hitomi then they could reassure her, honestly and truly reassure her, without formal statistics or facts of some sort, that her baby was alright.

Unohana looked at the visitors again then at Orihime's hopeful face. Her professional face crumbled as she gave into a kind, real smile.

"Fine. Follow me, if you please."

**...**

Hitomi bunched and unbunched her tiny, pink fist.

She yawned as wide as her little mouth could go.

He didn't know how long he was standing there. For hours, maybe. And he could continue watching her for days. She was just that amazing.

But in the back of the room, Ichigo felt a strong presence appear behind him. In fact, if he thought hard enough, he was there the whole time.

Ichigo just didn't have the energy to pick a fight anymore. He's invested too much time being a boy. It was time to be a man.

"Her health is sufficient?" Aizen asked as he stopped and stood a few feet from the father.

Both men watched the small baby squirm in her incubator, completely absorbed in her little glass world.

"...Yes."

It was quiet again save the everyday sounds of an operating hospital.

Ichigo stuck his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels. "I suppose this means I should repay you back in some way or another…."

Aizen blinked, his eyes never leaving the lethargic Hitomi. "If you find it necessary…"

It was weird. Weird was the only word Ichigo could describe it as.

He... couldn't hate him. He felt no urge or desire to. The man helped his wife to the hospital and stayed until he knew she was okay. What type of man would do that for someone else's wife? How many men like him could you count on your fingers?

Ichigo was to shout or laugh, maybe even _cry _at the irony.

The silence seemed to go louder as the noise in the hall began to dissipate

Hitomi found the silence peaceful for she nestled down in her white blanket and hat and continued her slumber.

"There's many beauty in creatures that are delicate and innocent…." Aizen started.

Ichigo was all ears yet his eyes went away from his daughter.

"The simplest of mistakes can bring those of magnificence crumbling down. Some mistakes can't always be fixed."

Ichigo took a deep breath. "Aizen-"

"But if I need a favor, however unlikely, I'll be sure to contact you."

This time, the silence didn't last long as Ichigo let those words sink in.

In his dark blue, pinstripe suit, Aizen walked away, and out of the room, speaking into his cell phone.

Of course, this was the bastard's fancy way of saying: "Don't fuck it up." But Ichigo appreciated it.

The father smiled and moved closer to the glass box, smiling down at his sleeping little girl. She wriggled around some more, the hat sliding off her head and revealing some of her light brown hair.

"Thank you, Aizen."

**...**

Tamotsu walked down the big white hallways with Tatsuki-san. The child's eyes enlarged when he realized women _and _men were wearing _dresses_.

Long white garbs that didn't cover them up completely in the back, most of them relieving their modesty.

"Hmm..." Tatsuki grumbled to herself, checking the numbers on each door then continuing forward. Dr. Unohana was whisked away to another patient so she told Tatsuki the directions. So far, they haven't reached their destination, and Tatsuki didn't want Tamotsu to become restless.

But the boy's sneakered feet kept up quick with her fast steps.

Tamotsu looked straight ahead as Tatsuki continued her search for the right door. Onward, Tamotsu looked.

Tatsuki suddenly halted her steps and stared at the hospital directory. She placed her hand on the poster and moved her finger along it.

"...Come on, Tamotsu." Tatsuki said after a minute. "I think I found it."

Moving down the hall in a leisurely pace, Tamotsu recognized a face. A man.

Tamotsu squinted at a familiar head. "...Mister...?"

Tatsuki looked down at the boy. "What was that?"

"...Mist-" The boy gave a tiny gasp. He disappeared! He wasn't there anymore.

...But... but... he saw _him_!

Mommy said... mommy said Mister didn't exist...

The child shook his head, shaking all of the bad thoughts out with it.

Mommy was right. Mister didn't exist. That's why he disappeared, because he wasn't real.

Tamotsu could have sworn... He saw.

But Tatsuki yanked his arm around a corner and his body followed. He found himself in an open room. His daddy was standing by a clear box.

Mister completely forgotten, Tamotsu approached his father's leg.

The tip of his head reached the rim of the glass box, so Ichigo lifted him up so he could see overhead too.

The child didn't understand. He didn't know what he was looking at. A giant, bundled up blanket? What was- Oh!

A tiny, fleshy pink hand curled around the corner of the blanket. With its tiny fingers, it pushed the blanket away from its face.

Tamotsu stared at the being with wonderment.

Ichigo smiled at his son's expression. "Tamotsu, don't you see her?" He asked. "That's your little sister. Hitomi."

* * *

**One day later.**

* * *

Orihime couldn't wait, not another second.

She would have run through the whole hospital, looking for her, if it weren't for Dr. Unohana, going on about her vitals and such.

Of course Orihime listened; it was about her baby after all. But she wanted to see her. Everything else seemed tedious in comparison.

"Before she can be discharged, it is absolutely essential that Hitomi meets all of the milestones our NICU requires." Dr. Unohana said. "She can now breathe on her own, without the help of respiratory support. But we'll keep her on it until we're completely sure she doesn't need it. Her temperature is stabilizing; she will no longer need the incubator. But at our unit, we do recommend the continuance of Kangaroo Care. The skin to skin contact that a baby feels with a mother is important to make a stronger connection after being apart for so long.

"I am concerned with her coordination when it comes to feeding. She's being fed through a feeding tube, but today we will see if she's made any improvements in sucking and swallowing. Furthermore, Hitomi needs to learn how to feed from a bottle. It's an alternative but a necessary precaution. Also, our nurses have detected a hint of jaundice around her face. But it is disappearing on its own. If it becomes more serious, our phototherapy will help to clear it out."

Dr. Unohana took a short breath and looked at the mother.

Orihime's gray eyes were wide as she stared down at the floor and took in all of the information, completely overwhelmed.

Retsu placed a hand on Orihime's shoulder, stopping her sullen stride. The doctor knew it hurt a mother when all she heard was the bad.

"But she has also gained two ounces. She is now 4.4 pounds, born at thirty-four weeks and four days."

Orihime set her hand on top of the doctor's. Orihime was grateful that a person like Unohana was helping her along with this. She felt as though she was being swallowed whole with all of the information. All Orihime wanted to do was hold her baby.

Unohana started again and Orihime followed her down the hall. When Orihime caught a glance at the NICU sign, she wanted to jump for joy.

"This is our neonatal intensive care unit." Unohana explained. "We hold all of our premature babies here. From anything to everything under thirty-seven weeks."

Orihime looked around. There were many rooms. Parents were standing over their own baby-boxes. But Orihime didn't see her own family.

"Well... where's Hitomi?"

Unohana grinned and pointed at the curtain behind her. "Right through here."

Unohana pulled back the curtain and immediately, Orihime's eyes connected to her husband's. He met her halfway across the room and hugged her tight.

"We've been waiting for you." Ichigo mumbled into her burnt-orange hair. He gave her another squeeze and looked down at her face, but she didn't look back.

Orihime was staring at the glass box in the corner of the wide room. Her hands tightened around his arms and she couldn't ignore the thick bulge, which rising tension created, in her throat.

"Is she alright? Does she look okay? You know..." her gray eyes flashed from the box to Ichigo and back to the box again. "...normal?"

Ichigo smiled his bright white smile. "Come see for yourself."

Hand in hand, the man led her over to the incubator.

At first, Orihime began to panic for Hitomi wasn't moving. Nothing jerked or squirmed or even twitched as she looked down into the transparent container. Not until she gave a little yawn and stretched out her tiny pink hand.

Hitomi's tiny tongue darted out between her lips. Her eyelids squeezed tight and her hands curled up around her face.

"…Can I hold her?" Orihime surprisingly found herself asking.

The nurse in the corner, who Orihime recognized as Isane, nodded.

"Of course you can. She's yours."

It was… intimidating, holding her for the second time.

She was smaller than Orihime remembered. More fragile. Sturdy but delicate. Definitely not as heavy as Tamotsu was. She was much lighter.

And the feelings that surged into her body at once were… overwhelming.

She was so happy. Completely overjoyed! ….But… her heart couldn't deny the feelings of guilt and shame. She did this to her baby? How small and pink she was? Her soft flesh and wrinkled skin against her tiny fingers and toes.

Orihime kissed all five of them on each hand and foot, counting the appendages thrice.

Then the feelings of triumph and success washed over her. Her baby had been born premature and lived. This was a feat that Orihime thought she would never be able to accomplish four years ago.

"My little survivor." Orihime whispered to the tiny creature bundled up against her chest. Hitomi yawned again and stretched her limbs again. She was waking up.

"She's a tough one." Ichigo agreed and pushed the thin wisps of light brown hair around on his daughter's head.

Orihime trailed her finger down Hitomi's mini nose down to her puffy, rosy lips. She shuffled under the blankets and turned towards Orihime's chest. Then one after the other, a wrinkled lid opened slowly uncovering circular amber eyes.

Something in Orihime's heart churned. It was a good kind of churn, a realization kind of churn.

Orihime glanced behind her at her husband.

Ichigo smiled back and nodded, his own amber eyes glistening.

Orihime stared back down at her daughter in astonishment. "She… she looks just like…."

"Masaki." Ichigo answered for her. The day the doctors first took Hitomi into the NICU, Ichigo noticed her resemblance when her eyes had crept open for the first time. Even from across the room, Hitomi's eyes were glued to him. He was hurt at first. The pain and humiliation all came rushing back to him and all he could do was stand there and watch her sleep.

But, as soon as she opened her eyes again, he knew she was not Masaki and there was no need to fear her, or what he's done- or better yet, what he couldn't do. She was his daughter. She was Hitomi.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Ichigo murmured over her fragile head and gave it a kiss.

Orihime watched as she blinked her heavy lids and stared back up at her. "She's just full of surprises."

Isane suggested that she begins the breastfeeding process, just to experiment. After four tries, Hitomi finally latched on and began to eat like she was starving in a cave for days… Well technically, she was.

"Fourth time's the charm!" Ichigo said proudly once Hitomi got the hang of it.

Orihime nodded in agreement. It reminded her of all her numbers. Thirty four weeks and four days, 4.4 pounds…. It was settled. "Four's her lucky number."

When she was finished, she turned her head away and slept. Ichigo said it was better than crying and Isane said she hasn't cried much because her body and mind hasn't caught up with the present yet.

Orihime spent all day in the NICU with Hitomi. Ichigo leave because visiting hours were over, and Tamotsu and Tatsuki were already home that morning.

Orihime guessed that Hitomi was still drowsy from the drugs because she slept in her arms for most of the day, only stirring or squirming when she was hungry.

The next day, Hitomi was discharged.

The whole ride home in her car seat, she slept peacefully. Orihime sat in the backseat with her just in case anything happened.

Contained energy balled up inside of Tamotsu when he saw Hitomi sitting in her mother's arms. It was that creature, sleeping on his mother's chest.

Mommy patted the cushion beside her and Tamotsu climbed onto the sofa and gawped at the baby. It was different from what he expected. He thought she would look like the purple flowers in the bushes at the playground, like a garden. But now, as he stared at the baby, it was small, a lot small, smaller than himself. And it was all pink and flushed, like its whole body was blushing. Is that what sick looked like? Mommy said the baby was sick...

Orihime leaned over so her son could get a better look. "Tamotsu. This is Hitomi, your little sister."

"Sister…?" Tamotsu looked at his mother and to his father.

"This means you are her older brother." Ichigo confirmed.

"Brother?" Tamotsu repeated…. He liked the sound of that.

Orihime nodded. "Mhmm." She pushed the blanket out of Hitomi's face so he could see her completely. "This means you have to protect her and love her."

Tamotsu looked around the room again, then back at Hitomi. Her eyes open a little then closed again. When daddy was sleeping, Tamotsu would always open his lids to see if his father was playing around, so he tried to do the same, until everyone stopped him.

Ichigo grasped his wrist before his finger could touch Hitomi's delicate skin.

Orihime transferred Hitomi from one shoulder to the other. The parents looked at each other, unsure how to put it.

"Tamotsu, do not-"

"You can't-"

They looked at each other uncertainly again. How were they supposed to explain "touching" to him without sounding too harsh? They didn't want him to believe Hitomi was completely off limits, they didn't want him to hate her. But the parents definitely needed to lay down the law.

Orihime bit her lip. "…Erm, Tamotsu." The boy looked back up at his mother. "…You just can't touch her. Not yet."

"She needs her rest." Ichigo said from behind. "Right now, we just need you to be careful around her."

Tamotsu blinked his large brown eyes and looked at the baby again. Tatsuki told him that he would have to be careful. Hitomi was not like his Grandpa or his teddy bears. He couldn't throw her or wrestle with her.

Orihime stood up and asked her son: "Do you want to help mommy with Hitomi's stuff?"

He nodded his head and reached out to grab her hand, but it was tucked under Hitomi's body.

He lowered it slowly and shoved it in his pocket. Mommy didn't want to hold his hand anymore…

For the rest of the day, mommy stayed upstairs with the baby. In the ocean room with all the shells and pillows.

He watched his mommy rock the baby back and forth in the fluffy chair. She was humming a tune he didn't know.

When his mommy placed Hitomi back in her crib, his mommy called his name.

Tamotsu blushed when he was discovered and revealed his hiding spot from behind the door.

She picked him up and sat him down on her lap. Yet again, she hadn't realized that he was becoming heavier. It was nothing too strenuous, but it took more effort than before.

Orihime saw his face when she didn't grab his hand. She wanted Tamotsu to understand that the family needs to make room for the baby and that all the attention won't be on him all of the time. When she said this, he nodded. He could comprehend, he was a smart lad.

"Tamotsu, I want you to know that I will love you just as much as I love Hitomi."

Tamotsu glanced at the crib and the baby inside of it. He could make out her hot pink romper and matching hat through the white bars.

Orihime kissed his forehead. "Don't think any differently. You are so special to me."

Tamotsu looked back at his mother and nodded. "Okay mommy."

He wasn't going to make her explain anymore. She looked tired and though it hurt when his mommy rejected his hand, he knew that it wasn't anything personal. He knew his mommy loved him and that was enough for the boy.

Tamotsu wrapped his arms around her throat and hugged her. "I love you mommy," he whispered in her ear and squeezed her tight.

Orihime rubbed his back in large circles. "You're my Monkey. You will and forever will be my baby."

* * *

**So that's the end of chapter 18!**

**But I wish I could say it was the end of their problems, I really wish I could! Don't forget, Aizen still has visitation rights. Rukia's been rebuilding her image in the media for the past months. And is Hitomi completely healthy?**

**I hope I got you all excited for next week! It won't be all rainbows and sunshine like after Tamotsu's birth.**

**Rocka.**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:** Yes, unfortunately we had another updating delay. :p I just got a new laptop (yeah!) but the internet was being stupid and I had to wait to put up a virus-blocking system. On the bright side, we won't have anymore updating problems. Two hip-hip hoorays for late Christmas gifts!

And since you all waited patiently, I placed a twist at the end of the chapter, just because I love you all!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the _original_ characters of Bleach. Hitomi and Tamotsu are mine!

* * *

**One week later.**

* * *

"No. Please… no…." She slid a heavy hand down her face. "Not. Again."

The mother knew she should leave the bed now before the newborn's cries woke everyone, but her body and mind were drained and oh, so tired.

Orihime swung her feet over the edge of the bed drowsily and, stumbling on her way, made it to Hitomi's bedroom.

Hitomi laid flat on her back and gave a long, drawn out whine, stopping to take a breath and then crying again. Her legs curled against her and her hand were squeezed in tiny fist.

"Good morning, Hitomi…" Orihime whispered over her newborn's crying.

The mother pulled her up out of her crib and placed her on the changing station.

"Good morning, mommy!" Orihime responded in a tiny, imitating voice, pulling down the tabs on her diaper.

Hitomi's screeches began to subside after she was dry, but that didn't make the dwindling wails any less irritating. Since three days ago, a day after she was released from the hospital, at the same time every night, around three o'clock, for two or three hours straight, Hitomi would cry her tiny heart out. Not to even mention the other times when she's hungry, tired or wet.

Orihime just hoped that Hitomi's crying didn't wake up Tamotsu. If was bad if one of her babies were awake, but _two_. Orihime winced at the thought.

Ichigo slouched in the doorway and gave the best smile he could muster considering the timely circumstances. "Good morning, my love."

"Hello!" Orihime said breathlessly as she tried to soothe the wriggling baby. She picked her up and rocked her as she circled around the room.

Ichigo rested his head against the doorway and sighed. "Three in the morning…. Great."

"She needed to be changed." The mother said matter-of-factly, still bouncing the infant in her arms.

"Yet she still cries."

"I haven't feed her yet." His wife retorted firmly. Was Ichigo implying something was wrong? If he was, Orihime dismissed it. Instead, she grabbed a towel off the dresser and sat down on the fluffy chair in the corner. "Could you grab me a bottle from the frig?"

Five minutes later, Ichigo was back with a warmed bottle of milk.

Hitomi drank greedily as Orihime fed her with the angled bottle.

Ichigo backed away and sat down on the uncomfortably small, padded chair by the dresser.

His body seemed to try to shrink to fit the chair. His shoulders hunched, his legs were bent high since he sat so low. He felt so out of place in a room of seashells and small toys. Like _Gulliver_, amidst the tiny _Lilliputians_.

Orihime stared at her husband amusingly. He was uneasy, just his body language and his fidgeting made that much evident. But why, she did not know.

Out of nowhere, Ichigo heard his wife ask: "Do you want to feed her?"

The father's face drained. He's fed Tamotsu plenty times when he was an infant. But this was different. It was just… Hitomi was smaller, more fragile. He could easily break her by accident.

Orihime stared, waiting for his answer while Hitomi steadily sucked away.

The man stood straighter. His eyes flashed with apprehension as he looked from the feeding baby to its mother. He swallowed nervously. "…Uh.… Sure, why not."

Beaten, he allowed Orihime transfer the infant into his arms. She placed the bottle in his hand the correct way and stood back to get the full view.

Ichigo felt like he was holding a Barbie doll. A living, breathing, warm Barbie doll. He let Hitomi's weight settle in on his arms, her body heat emanating from all sides.

Ichigo lifted the left side of his mouth giving it a lopsided grin. "Do I look funny?"

Orihime giggled at his foolish comment. She bent over to grab the towel off of the chair, a view which Ichigo didn't mind at all- in fact, in his eyes, her figure looked even better than before.

"Now you have to burp her. But not too rough, her back isn't as strong as Tamotsu's.… Also, she's much gassier." Orihime placed the towel over his shoulder and sat him down on the chair. Ichigo set Hitomi up against his chest and began patting her back.

Ichigo lifted a brow and continued rubbing the baby's back. "…like this?"

"Yes." Orihime nodded happily, then considered for a moment. She suddenly raked her hand through Ichigo's orange head to make it even wilder and disheveled than before. "There. Now you look like a real daddy."

Hitomi mewled over her father's shoulder and rested her head on the towel.

Ichigo smiled and grasped her wrist before Orihime could pull away.

He trailed his hand all the way up her arm to the back of her neck. He brought her down until their lips were inches apart. "Thank you," he whispered and leaned in to kiss her but Hitomi burped, and unfortunately, spit up too.

Well… baby throw-up isn't the best turn on.

**…**

"Mommy, mommy, mommy!" Tamotsu shouted as he ran into her legs and held on tight.

Orihime stumbled, catching herself against the counter, almost spilling a bottle of uncapped breast milk in the process.

Tamotsu watched a few drops of the white, creamy liquid splatter on the tiled floor, earning a suppressed groan from his mother.

Orihime turned back to the kitchen counter and continued her work. "Tamotsu," she sighed irately. "Don't do that anymore."

Tamotsu rocked on his heels for a second, waiting out her anger before thrusting his macaroni-and-glue picture as high as he could reach. "Mommy, look at what I made at made at school! Look! Look!"

"Yes, beautiful."

Beautiful? Tamotsu glanced down at the macaroni glued monster. It had elbow macaroni teeth and fan shaped eyes. It wasn't beautiful, it was scary! …She didn't even look at him!

"Mommy, look at my picture!" Tamotsu hoped from foot to foot in excitement and lifted the picture to his face. "Rawr, rawr! See mommy?! Rawr!"

Orihime screwed the top back onto the bottle. "Tamotsu, I said it was great."

Great? She said beautiful before. Now she was really frustrating him.

"Rawr, rawr!" The boy screamed louder to catch her attention.

"Tamotsu, lower your-"

From the top rooms all the way down to the kitchen, Hitomi's cries started from being awoken.

Orihime huffed and took the bottle and other containers out of the kitchen with her.

Why wasn't she paying attention? Why wasn't she looking?

Tamotsu followed her, asking her once more when they reached the stairs. "Mommy… look…"

The phone began ringing and Orihime became conflicted over whether she should continue upstairs to the stirring infant or the caller.

Hitomi's cries were getting louder so she picked the former.

"Mommy…" Tamotsu reached out to tug on her skirt but she was moving so fast, he couldn't keep up. Why was she ignoring him?

The child didn't know how to put it all into the right words. He didn't know what to say to ask his mother to _really_ look at him. Why was she being so cruel?

Instead of throwing a tantrum, or chucking his macaroni art across the room, or shouting and demanding attention, the toddler broke down in tears.

The phone rung, Hitomi shrieked bloody murder, and Tamotsu was crying.

"Tamotsu, please!" Orihime abruptly turned around and raised her voice at the toddler. "Give mommy a rest! You're too old to be crying!"

Tamotsu stared high up at his mother in shock, the boy's macaroni art slipped from his fingers as realization dawned on her. Orihime's core clenched in hatred for herself.

The phone gave its last ring.

"Tamotsu, Monkey, my sweet little honeybunch." Orihime picked up the picture from the steps and handed it back to the stunned child. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean any of that."

Tamotsu's ears still rung from her loud shouts, her voice repeated the same pitch over and over again. More tears inched down his round cheeks.

Hitomi still cried for her life, giving the most heart wrenching performance on Orihime's motherly instincts. "Mommy's really sorry. I just… I have to go get Hitomi, okay?"

Tamotsu sniffled and watched his mommy turned back around and run up the stairs to his little sister.

Tamotsu crept back down the steps, silently crying to not disturb the baby or its mother anymore than he already has.

**…**

Orihime kissed Hitomi's cheek, then her other and then the first again. She sat down besides Ichigo on the couch and snuggled up under his arm.

"What are you working on?" The woman asked, glancing at his laptop.

Having Hueco Mundo as a client wasn't an exact walk in the park. In fact, it was a nightmare. Yes, having a partnership paid amazing, and their company was doing great, but Aizen's men were rough, excessively demanding, and harassing. Ichigo had already gotten dozens of complaints from his employees stating that the HMs were unnecessarily rude or tormenting.

His partner, Ishida said that they are trying to wiggle out of their deal at the moment. Taking legal action would be sticky in their particular situation, so Ishida told Ichigo to focus elsewhere, on his wife and kids.

Yet, here he was, working again.

"I'm doing some research on a potential client."

Orihime lifted Hitomi in her arms to keep her from sliding down. "Oh, who?"

Ichigo grinned and closed his laptop. "I can't tell you. Don't want to jinx it."

The woman shrugged. "Understandable."

In her arms, Hitomi snuffled and pursed her tiny, pink lips. Orihime wiped off her pacifier and slipped it between her lips before a cry could escape.

"Do you think we should look into her crying problem?"

Ichigo leaned in and stoked Hitomi's fine, slender, light brown hairs on her head. "Her crying isn't a problem. That's what babies do."

"The same time, every night?" Orihime shook her head. "Tamotsu didn't do that."

Hitomi relished in her attention and cuddled against her mother's breast.

"There's the problem right there." Ichigo said, stilling caressing the babe. "You need to stop comparing our children. Every baby is different."

"I know…" Hitomi yawned, the pacifier slipping from her mouth before Orihime pushed it back in. "But you can't deny it's unusual."

Ichigo shook his head. "I don't think so," he whispered. "She's perfect."

Tamotsu looked at his parents' faces gazing down at the baby.

That was Tamotsu's seat, right there in between his parents.

Instead it was Hitomi, yawning and sleeping all of the time. Crying and getting everything she wants.

Tamotsu wanted to be mad at the Hitomi. But she was only a baby… it wasn't her fault she couldn't help herself.

The boy climbed up the staircase, oblivious to the pair of gray eyes trailing him.

Orihime looked back at her husband. "Ichigo?"

Ichigo finished caress the infant and looked back at his wife. "Hmm?"

Before Orihime could contain herself, it all came spilling out.

"I yelled at Monkey today. I didn't mean to, I was just so frustrated because Hitomi was cooperating earlier. It took me so long to get her to sleep. And he was just- you know how he can get when he's excited. He becomes so happy and so loud and he squeals. And it's a lovely squeal, it really is, but he was so… in-my-face, I couldn't think straight, and… he started crying and I ended up telling him that he was too old to be crying.

"It was like that time I spanked him. I don't want to be that type of parent who doesn't have her children under control. I want to be calm and collected, not pulling my hair out. And when Hitomi started crying- I really didn't mean to say those things to him, it's just, he's still a baby himself and this whole process is harder than I thought."

The mother took a deep breath and waited for the orange haired man to respond.

"Orihime, just relax. He'll get over it."

Orihime jumped, catching Hitomi in her arms before she rolled away. "Ichigo! How can you say that?!"

"Orihime, its okay to be stressed. It's the most appropriate response in your case." Ichigo ticked at each of his fingers to make a point. "With this visitation coming up, and Hitomi, and the fact that you have to stay away from BabyCakes so long after the reopening, things are going to pile on at once."

Ichigo was right. She was stressed. Because Orihime had her baby, the court changed Aizen's unsupervised visitation rights to supervised visitation rights. They believed that Tamotsu needed a familiar figure to help transition him into a new, different life.

And in three days, three days Tamotsu would meet his biological father all over again. The whole situation was weighing heavy on Orihime. And the fact that she just screamed at him made it all hurt even more.

"But I never wanted to be a mother who takes out all her anger on her children. I don't like yelling at Monkey." Orihime looked up at the ceiling, as if she could see her son through the floor, on his carpet playing with his toys. "You should have seen the look on his face…"

Hitomi waved her arms in the air in frustration, begging to be notice. Her pacifier fell out of her mouth, but she didn't care. She just needed all eyes on her.

"How about I have a chat with Tamotsu, just to see how he's doing with the new baby and stuff?"

"You'll really do that?" Orihime asked happily. Hitomi's waves were becoming forceful, violent, almost. Orihime glided her finger in the infant's grasp and Hitomi held on tight, bringing the finger to her mouth occasionally to soak the digit with saliva.

"Yeah," Ichigo shrugged and smiled, amused at his daughter's fascination with sucking fingers. "….how about the two of us have a father-son day, before the visitation."

After some thought, Orihime nodded in agreement. "That sounds good… I like that idea."

The mother found the pacifier and placed it back where it belonged, much to Hitomi's dismay. But the infant still held tight to her mother's finger, refusing to surrender any potential attention.

Ichigo leaned over, again, and kissed his daughter on her forehead, earning a muffled squeal of gratitude. "Yeah, I knew you would."

* * *

**Later that night.**

* * *

"Hitomi!" Orihime hissed as loudly as she could.

The woman gently lifted the child out of her crib, or at least as gentle as one could with a shrieking baby in their hands.

Orihime placed her on the changing station and pleaded with the baby. "Please! Please, mommy's here now."

Orihime slid a new diaper under the child, avoiding her strong kicks. She peeled back the tabs on the dirty diaper and pulled down the top half to reveal- nothing!

Orihime blinked a few times, unsure what to do. She sniffed her to make sure her eyes weren't deceiving her, and checked under the infant to inspect her back side.

Hitomi was completely clean… why the hell then was she crying?!

The mother fastened a new diaper on anyway, just in case.

After Orihime cleaned the station, she set Hitomi on the floor and sat opposite of her, cross-legged.

Hitomi was still creating that staccato weep she does.

Orihime wasn't cut out for this. Tamotsu didn't cry, Tamotsu never cried. He watched and stared and was a quiet as a mouse…. When he was hungry he made a kind of scuffling sound with his lips, like he was sucking the air. He only did cry when he felt extremely uncomfortable or if Orihime was away for a long time, like an hour or so.

Hitomi, on the other hand, just screamed and screamed and _screamed_.

It was unnerving, of course, to see her daughter act like this. Orihime sighed and picked the mewling baby up. Hitomi's cries became jerky and choppy, like she was running out of ammo.

Orihime used it to her advantage and hugged the squirming child. Hitomi's kicks died down but only a little bit. The mother lifted her shirt and slid Hitomi under. She laid back on the carpeted floor, Hitomi's head peeking out from under the thin fabric.

The baby quieted and listened her mother's heart. She snuggled in between skin and breast. It was warm here, and soft. Hitomi yawned sleepily; wanting to burrow into her mother's skin and sleep next to her mother's beating heart.

Orihime yawned too. It was comforting feeling Hitomi's weight on her chest. She felt the infant rolled herself into a ball.

Before no time, the two girls were sleeping. Both twisted into their own cocoon, both whistling a light combination of snoring and humming.

When Ichigo felt his wife's presence absent from their bed, he immediately glanced at his clock. It read 3: 18. Surely, Hitomi must have gone on her crying-fit again.

The orange haired man walked down the hall and entered his previous office.

Orihime and Hitomi lay peacefully in the middle of the floor. Hitomi was barely visible for Ichigo could not see her brown hair in the dark light of the lamp. But she slept atop Orihime's chest, under her oversized bed shirt. It was the cutest scene ever.

Ichigo crossed the room and pulled the colorful afghan from off the side of the crib and laid it across his two ladies.

He switched off the lamp and went back to bed.

**…**

Tamotsu raked his heels along the wooden chips scattered across the grass.

He lightly swung back and forth on the swing set, bringing his feet down occasionally to keep from rocking too hard.

"You can't touch the baby?" His friend Hiro reaffirmed.

Tamotsu nodded and looked up at the blue sky. It was recess time and he decided to confide in his good friend, Hiroyuki Tanaka. Aside from Misoka, who wasn't there that day, Hiro was a great friend and even better wrestler.

"But… the baby is your sister!" Hiro shouted, stating the obvious.

The boy swung higher than Tamotsu. It was his constant goal to hop off of the moving swing and land further on the grass then he did yesterday.

Tamotsu wasn't fond of elevating oneself just to decline. Besides, if one landed the wrong way, one could get hurt.

"I know, but my mommy said that I can't touch the baby. She said she loves me and the baby the same way, but right now, the baby needs more attention."

Hiro hopped off the swing, screeching as he went. His body was flung into the air, like a pellet from a sling shot, and landed with an "Oof" on the dry ground.

Tamotsu waited for his friend to get back up and shake the dirt off of him and wag his short blond head. Hiro returned to the swings, a goofy grin on his otherwise smug visage.

"I got seven feet today." Hiro boasted proudly. "That's two more from yesterday!"

Tamotsu observed his friend try to pushed off and rock his body to a perfect rhythm.

Tamotsu then realized, as Hiroyuki was trying to push and pull the chains on his seat to get a better pace that Hiro wouldn't understand. Hiro was the youngest child out of three. He would never know the load of protecting a sibling that he wasn't allowed to touch. He would never know such a burden.

**…**

Hitomi wrapped her tiny hand around Ichigo's finger. She brought the appendage to her mouth; her tiny pink tongue darted out, examining the tip. Hitomi pulled a face when she realized that this tip wasn't the normal, swollen tip she was used to.

Nevertheless, Hitomi resume her exploration.

Ichigo wagged his finger, giving Hitomi a challenge. She didn't give up trying to suck his finger down to nothing.

Ichigo bent his neck and kissed her belly. She was growing, still. Her small frame increasing each day. Though Tamotsu was way bigger and fuller at two and a half weeks, Ichigo didn't mind. After feeding her and spending time with her when Orihime took a quick nap, he was less scared of breaking the babe.

Hitomi's eyes flashed up to her father from her gnawing, amber encountered its equivalent for a spilt second before the infant went back to her licking endeavor.

"You are the most important person in the world to me."

"Hey!"

Ichigo twisted on his side, catching his wife exiting their bathroom tying her robe. She was finally able to remove the days' activities off her body. Steam trailed out of the bathroom close behind her as she moved over to the bed.

Orihime crawled next to him and kissed him on the cheek. "What about me?"

"You are the loveliest, most beautiful woman in the world." Ichigo said without missing a beat.

Orihime rubbed the chubby belly of the suckling baby. "And Tamotsu?"

"The most special, wonderful son any man could have."

Orihime turned on her side to kiss him on the mouth. "And you're the most amazing man and father."

Hitomi kicked the air for the attention. Her amber eyes began searching for someone else's. Ichigo slipped his finger out of her grasp to tangle his hand through his wife's wet, burnt-orange hair. Feeling her father's warm finger taken from her, the infant released a single, lengthy whimper into the air.

Immediately, Ichigo swooped her up and offered his finger again. Hitomi clutched it gratefully, not letting it go.

Orihime sighed and scooted off the bed and made her way over to her vanity. She picked up her favorite brush and tackled her wet hair. "Two more days…." she accidentally sighed out loud.

Ichigo's eyes didn't leave Hitomi. "When do you want to explain things to Tamotsu?"

Orihime set her brush down. "I don't know…"

The whole situation had her completely frazzled. The thought of having to explain to Tamotsu that "Mister" was in fact real made her stomach churn. Tamotsu could handle it, she knew this. But could she?

"I know you're very…. passive, but you can't let this drag on. He needs to know some time soon."

Orihime wrapped her hair into a loose bun atop her head and turned to face him from her cushioned seat. "I think I want to tell him the day of. So there's no confusion…"

"Confusion." Ichigo repeated, levity dripping from his voice. He lifted Hitomi up to his face and nuzzled her miniature form. "It's not all bad. Think about it from his perspective. The man you told him that wasn't real is actually his biological father."

Orihime placed her hands on her hips indignantly. "I don't know how you can make a mockery out of this situation, Ichigo."

Ichigo just smiled. "Hitomi thinks it's funny."

Orihime gazed at the yawning babe, her arms falling to her side at the sight of Hitomi's naïve and immature face. Orihime's own anger dissolved. "Using her adorableness against me now?"

Ichigo sighed and transferred Hitomi to her mother. "You just make such beautiful babies."

The woman blushed and rocked Hitomi's drowsy form. "We should get her to bed. She'll be up in a few hours anyway." It was about ten o'clock. No doubt Hitomi would be crying at the top of her lungs in five hours.

The father leaned back on his pillows and shut his eyes. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

**The next day.**

* * *

"Okay, here's the plan." Ichigo crouched and said to his son. "You run down there, I throw the ball and you catch it, okay?"

Tamotsu nodded, his eyes sparkling.

"Horses shake their heads!"

Tamotsu shouted on the top of his lungs in excitement. "Yes, sir!"

Ichigo waited for his son to reach the edge of the field before sending the football spiraling in a straight toss.

Tamotsu hoped in the air and caught it with ease before buckling from the impact of the throw and falling into the dried leaves behind him.

Ichigo jogged over to his son, lifting him up. "You okay champ?"

Tamotsu shook his whole body off then flexed his arms and growled. "Yes daddy!"

Ichigo and Tamotsu sat down on the dusty ground. They stared around the tired park, one or two people roaming here or there.

"You hungry?" Ichigo asked suddenly.

Tamotsu thought for a moment and nodded.

Ichigo ruffled his son's dark brown hair. "Horses shake their heads!"

Tamotsu jumped up and threw the football against the ground. "Yes, sir!"

Across the street, Ichigo lead Tamotsu to an old deli. There, Ichigo ordered himself a hoagie and a mini and fries for the child.

"Good?"

Tamotsu munched on a fry and smiled. "Mmhmm!"

Ichigo drunk his Coke and watched his son chop at the fried potato crisps. He placed his cup back down. "Are you still upset at your mother?"

Tamotsu shook head, and then remembered that only horses do that. "No daddy."

Still watching him, Ichigo noticed that Tamotsu's eating slowed. "…Champ," Ichigo started. "I want you to remember that your mother loves you."

Tamotsu ceased his chopping and began poking his fries in the ketchup "Mmhmm."

It was obviously still a touchy subject. Ichigo assumed he would get over it, in time.

"That was a nice catch out there." The father said, cheering him up.

The boy grinned his wide, goofy grin and squealed at his father's rare praise.

In two days, Tamotsu would meet his biological father. But no matter what, Ichigo would always be his true father. No one would be able to take that title from him.

* * *

**The next night.**

* * *

Orihime stood over the crib, examining her daughter's every movement, every flicker and expression.

"Orihime, come back to bed, please." Ichigo begged from the doorway for the hundredth time. His wife had been up since two just to standing over Hitomi while she slept. Unnerved, Ichigo stayed up too. He didn't have the right word for it, but he didn't want Orihime to become too paranoid. So now they were in the baby's room, watching her until she woke again in her crying-fit.

"She's fine." Ichigo reassured her yet again.

Ichigo also knew that Hitomi's actions were a little odd. But if he admitted to it, it would only make Orihime even more fearful.

Orihime glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 2:53. Hitomi would be awake soon. "There's something wrong… I know there is."

A full hour of trying to persuade his wife to go back to bed… She was like a persistent child, stubborn when she wanted to be. And ever so firm in her decision.

Well…. If you can't beat 'em, join them.

"Show me." Ichigo said and stood next to Orihime by the crib.

Orihime pointed at the scowl she made with her lips. God she looked like Ichigo. "She's making that face again." Orihime looked at Ichigo with wide, scared eyes. "Do you think she's in pain? She looks like she's in pain…"

Ichigo gazed at the stirring baby. "I'll try to burp her again-"

"No!" Orihime hissed and slapped his reaching hands away. "She'll cry again!"

Hitomi yawned, and with it, a mounting cry escaped.

Both parents groaned.

Completely dry, Hitomi still cried inconsolably. Even when Orihime tried to feed her, Hitomi didn't want anything. She just wanted to cry. Orihime even tried to hold her, to hug her. It only worked for a time before the infant became restless all over again.

Ichigo glanced at the clock again. It was 4:48. The father sighed wearily. "Let's take her back to the hospital."

"So they can stick her in a warm box and poke needles in her again? No thank you." Orihime transferred the sniveling infant from one arm to the other.

"I just wish she would stop crying. I mean, I already changed her; she's been feed and burped…." Orihime looked down at Hitomi, her cries dwindling. "…You don't think she has any _problem_ problems, do you?"

Ichigo opened an eye. "Problems?"

"Like…" Orihime bit her lip, afraid to say it out loud. "…like _special_ problems?"

Ichigo glanced at Hitomi. The infant's face was red from all of the energy she put in to the cries, her body cringed and tightened, like an expanding balloon.

He knew she didn't have any _special_ problems, but problems nonetheless.

"That's it." Ichigo stood from his place on the carpet. "I'm setting a doctor's appointment."

Orihime stood too, placing Hitomi back in her crib, her body becoming more relaxed. "So you do think something's wrong?"

Ichigo raked a hand through his bright hair. "No. But… something's off." He squeezed his dry eyes shut for a moment. "We have to find out."

Orihime looked back at the crib. In a way, it was like seeing her daughter in that encased incubator all over again…

The woman shook her head, hopefully shaking out all her fears with it. "Fine… fine."

**…**

Tamotsu munched on his buttery toast and stared out the window.

It was calm that morning at breakfast.

His daddy sat across from him drinking that warm black stuff from his mug. And his mommy slouched in her chair, her eyes closed and orangey hair fanning over both her shoulders.

Next to the boy, his baby sister, Hitomi, slept quietly in her highchair. She was entirely inactive save her occasion lid fluttering and her jittery little stretches and kicks. Tamotsu would have poked her, to make sure she was still there, but he knew better than to touch her.

Tamotsu began to wonder when Hitomi was ever not sleeping.

The child pierced his sausage with his fork and chomped on the end. He nose wrinkled when he tasted his pancake syrup on the link of meat.

"Monkey, are you done?" His mommy asked and took his empty glass.

Tamotsu nodded and lowered his sausage bound fork back onto the half empty plate.

His mommy returned to the sink and he heard the faucet go on. "Go up stairs and get dressed, we have somewhere to go today."

"Okay mommy." Tamotsu climbed off the chair and traveled upstairs. Tamotsu used the stool in the bathroom to brush his teeth. He still hadn't mastered the art of keeping the toothpaste from smearing all over his cheeks and counter top.

**…**

"Where are we going?" Tamotsu asked when mommy started the car.

"We are visiting someone today." Orihime stated dryly as she started the car.

The boy hoisted his bag onto his lap. He unzipped the main compartment and pulled out his best friend, Kon.

Tamotsu glanced over at Hitomi, who now, awake, gazed all around the car, taking it as much as she could with her blurry vision.

"Who are we visiting?" Tamotsu asked, still looking at his baby sister.

Tamotsu didn't hear his mother's answer so he looked back over at her. His mother's body seemed to become tense over the stirring wheel.

Tamotsu raised his brows in question. "Mommy?"

"A friend." She finally said.

Tamotsu was satisfied with that.

The trio rode silently for an half an hour, where they were going, Tamotsu knew not. That was fine with him. He brought Kon along and they goofed around in the backseat, pretending to be space ranges to save planet Earth from an alien evil.

They entered a building that day. A man, cheesing a wide as he could, opened the doors for them. Tamotsu held his mommy's hand while she carried Hitomi in a portable car seat.

The child didn't know what to make of it… He couldn't explain it, but… he's been here before.

His mommy moved towards the main desk, he tamely followed after.

"Good afternoon! Welcome to the Hollow Night…." Momo looked up and frowned in recognition.

"…Palace. How may I help you?"

Tamotsu was going to explode! He knew it. It was on the tip of his tongue…

Orihime sucked in a sharp breath. It was the same receptionist from her last visit to this place. But now, her hair wasn't in the tied bonnet but cut in a short bob, hovering over her shoulders with a watermelon clip high on the left side.

Orihime's shoulders squared. Their last encounter wasn't the warmest, but none of that mattered now.

"We're here to see Sousuke."

Tamotsu's head snapped up to his mommy. He's heard that name before. Where, he did not know.

Momo smacked a sweet, professional smile on her otherwise child-like face. "He isn't in." Momo watched the mother's face crumble in confusion, so she clarified. "He left this yesterday evening, said he had a previous engagement at his headquarters."

Tamotsu felt crazy! The room had a gentle quiet but it was all so noise all at once. Against the walls, the white pillars commanded the large room, as if the were dormant watchdogs, ready to strike at any moment's notice. And the towering walls made him seem so small, smaller than usual as compared to the average adult. All of this, as intimidating as it was, gave him a boost of self-esteem, like the child felt the need to grow bigger and better than those pillars and walls. He wanted to knock them down for being in his way. Under his foot, they would collapse and be grinded to white dust.

All of the hard, glossy, marble seeped into him like a night's chill. It was cold here. Tamotsu didn't like it. He wanted to go home. He was scared.

This fear…

Was it from the familiarity of it all? Or from the unknown?

Tamotsu pressed against his mother's warm leg. "Mommy…"

Hinamori stopped dead in her sentence and leaned over the desk. She first saw wads of bistre colored hair. The owner of that hair looked up at the young lady. Large, frightened, russet eyes collided with coy raw umber.

Hitomi blinked at the brightness of the lobby. She turned her head from side to side looking for her mother.

Momo sat back down, her heart beating in her chest. The girl waited in her chair for a few seconds before her training kicked in. "Do… do you want to leave a message?"

Orihime touched Tamotsu's head and he looked up at her. The mother looked back at the receptionist. "No." Orihime shook her head. "No. Just, just contact me when he comes back. Here's my number…"

**…**

Tamotsu smiled when they left the horrid building. His mommy tugged on his hand, indicating that he needs to move a bit faster. Tamotsu sped up, craning his neck to see her wet face. She had silent tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Mommy… why are you crying?" He asked, walking ahead to watch her expression.

Orihime let go of his small hand to wipe her face. Tamotsu then watched her pull out the car keys from her back pocket and heard that _chirp_ _chirp_ noise from the nearby parking lot. "No reason baby."

Orihime packed her children into the car, hooking Hitomi's car seat securely in the back seat beside Tamotsu.

"Mommy…" The boy timidly said as she finished strapping his baby sister down.

Orihime removed the remaining tears from her chin and ears. "Tamotsu, remember that friend I was talking about?" Tamotsu nodded. "Well… he's your…" Tamotsu watched his mommy dug the heel of her hand against her tired, damp eyes. "…he's…"

Orihime was exhausted. This was not as it was to be planned. They were going to meet at his penthouse condominium and spend their allotted time. Just her, him, Tamotsu and Hitomi. Why didn't he come? Why was he planning these games with her head? With her family?

"Mommy?" She heard Tamotsu say again.

Orihime pushed her long, wavy hair up and out of her face. A few strands managed to slip back into place amongst the golden oranges and reds.

"He's no one."

* * *

**Three days later.**

* * *

The doctor walked into the waiting room and spotted and nice-looking couple, both fiery in hair but much different in personality. "Mr. and Mrs. Ichigo Kurosaki?" He asked, walking towards them.

The couple stood and shook hands with the doctor. "Hi. Thank you for seeing us on such short notice, Dr. Koruba."

Gorou smiled and withdrew his hand. "It's my pleasure. This way to my office."

They took Orihime and Hitomi to an examination room while her husband and son waited in the ranks. Hitomi was fairly cooperative, wriggling when she felt uncomfortable but none of her excessive crying emerged.

Orihime secretly hoped it would, for if it did, Dr. Koruba would have gotten a real look and Hitomi's condition.

Dr. Kuroba entered his office with a few files in his hands. "When I read the report, I immediately thought it was colic."

Orihime blinked, confused that she's heard the word- maybe on the baby and mother forums- but never actually knew what it meant.

"Colic?" she repeated.

Dr. Koruba folded his hands on his desk. Between and cup or pencils and pens and a plant, there stood a golden name plate inscribed _Dr. Gorou Koruba. MD._

"It's when an infant cries inconsolably without any real reason."

Ichigo nodded. "That sounds like her."

It was much brighter in Dr. Koruba's office than in any office Orihime's been in. Hitomi was falling asleep in her car seat, she looked absolutely adorable in her purple polka dotted jumper, and Tamotsu sat quietly in his armchair, by his father. Tough the boy couldn't keep up with the conversation, he knew perfectly well that he needed to be obedient and on his best behavior. This was no place for play.

Dr. Koruba continued. "But when we took those tests, I noticed that when she feeds, she gulps down a lot of air. This leads me to believe that Hitomi has severe trapped wind."

Gorou paused and waited for the couple to catch up on what he was saying.

"Because Hitomi has such an immature digestive system, especially from being a preemie and 34 gestation, I would assume she has air bubbles trapped in her stomach after feedings. How long after feedings does she cry?"

Orihime thought for a moment. "…She normally gets put to bed around twelve, but only because she sleeps for most of the day. She's feed… and then two or three hours later she wakes up in this cry-fit."

Gorou nodded. His platinum blonde hair twinkled in the spilling sun light from the window. "Is she burped after she's fed every time?" Gorou asked

"Yes, but she doesn't burp every time." Orihime caught a glimpse at Ichigo, almost wanting to giggle. "And when she does, sometimes she might spit-up. Sometimes."

Gorou scrawled down some notes on the file. "Do you feed her when she wakes up in the night, crying?"

"Yes. I feed her, change her, hold her… I do everything until she calms down. But the crying lasts for about three hours straight."

"Being laid flat on your back after being fed, with air trapped in the stomach is very painful for infants." Dr. Koruba folded his hands again, which Orihime noticed were very small for a man his size. "I believe that the colic is what wakes her up initially. But, when you try to feed her, and she's been crying, the air is going to get caught in her belly right after she ate. This is causing her more pain which leads to the excessive crying until she passes gas or burps."

Ichigo lifted his orange brows in worry. "Is this dangerous in any way? Do we have anything to really worry about?"

"Colic is not harmful in any way. It has no long-term effects and Hitomi will outgrow it in several months." Gorou closed the file, stood, and placed it in a drawer with other cream colored folders.

"The wind, on the other hand, is up to the parents. Hitomi needs to be burped every time, after a feeding."

They both nodded, completely understanding.

Gorou opened the doors for them and walked the family to the front room. "I would love to see Hitomi again. I'll fax you a few techniques on how to burp her properly, so wind won't be a problem anymore."

Orihime smiled gratefully. "We would love that!"

At home, Ichigo placed Hitomi into her crib, her back flat against the soft cushion.

He traveled downstairs and into the kitchen where his wife was packing up bottles of breast milk into the refrigerator. "Are ready for tonight?"

Orihime turned around, closing the thick, white door. "I think we're pretty prepared."

Tamotsu went to bed without being told to do so. He was quiet all day since the visitation. Of course Orihime didn't like that, but she didn't want to stir up any bad memories for the both of them.

The couple sat quietly on their couch. It felt like ages since they just sat on that sofa, just relaxing, no words.

When Orihime came home from that horrid day, she cried on Ichigo's chest for hours. She even slept through Hitomi's crying!

Now, being snuggled under his toned arm was the best feeling. Orihime wrapped her arms around his torso and moved closed against him. His hand came down and squeezed her shoulder.

She liked days like these. She was exhausted, yes. But happy nevertheless.

Then something happened the next day. Something she couldn't have saw coming. Something no one could have saw coming.

"Ichigo?" whispered a voice.

Ichigo rubbed his sandy eyes.

"Ichigo?" The voice whispered again.

The man opened one eye, then the next. His wife was leaning over him, literally sitting on top of him on their bed. "Yeah?"

She shoved a paper in his face. "Here."

Ichigo sat up, making her scoot of his body a little. "What is it?"

Orihime just shook her head.

Ichigo took one glimpse at the paper and growled. At the bottom of the page was Aizen's signature scrawled at the bottom beside the print.

Ichigo scowled deeply, his whole being becoming angry. "Don't tell me he's taking us back to court." The man just didn't give up, damn it.

"No." Orihime pushed the paper forward. "Read it."

Ichigo looked down and skimmed the fancy paper. _Demanding profession… priorities… termination… visitation… renouncing…_

Ichigo shook his own head, unbelieving. "He's… renouncing his visitation rights. Why would he do that?"

"I don't know. But isn't it wonderful?!"

Before Ichigo could finish his "Yeah" Orihime grabbed his cheeks and kissed him deeply. It was very rare for Orihime to ever take the initiative and kiss him first. So, Ichigo relished in it, brought her down and kissed her back.

The man's hands traveled down to the curve between his wife's thigh and bottom, cupping the soft skin there. Orihime climbed back on top of him, pushing him back down against the pillows.

Tamotsu rubbed his heavy eyelids, barefoot and tired; he yawned in front of his parent's door and gently pushed it open.

"Mommy… I'm hungry."

Orihime gasped and scrabbled off of Ichigo. Flushed and red in the face, Orihime pushed all her hair out of her eyes and smiled at her son on the other side of the room.

"Of course! Pancakes anyone?"

Orihime whisked Tamotsu off quickly downstairs before he could put two and two together.

Ichigo, on the other hand, took his time that morning, going over what that letter meant.

Ichigo remembered that man's face.

He remembered what he said to him that day.

This was his second chance. It just took the risk of losing his life, his house, his job, his wife, his son, his family to realize it.

The man joined his family downstairs for breakfast. He kissed his wife, ruffled his son's hair and tickled his little girl in the belly.

Yes, he definitely wasn't going to fuck it up this time.

* * *

**This is not the end; there are still a few key components that need to be resolved.**

**I hoped you liked this chapter, I know I did. And give me your feedback! I love to hear from you guys! If it's a review, pm, or email, it doesn't matter. Your opinions and thoughts are very much appreciated and very important to me.**

**See you all next week! I'll try to update on time!**

**Rocka.**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N:** This is just a filler chapter everyone. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach, its characters or the products/brands shown in this chapter.

* * *

**One month later.**

* * *

Orihime swayed back and forth and patted the infants back when her cries became tough, staccato coughs.

"Shh… shh…" Orihime switched Hitomi to her other shoulder when she cries became too loud for her close ear. "It's okay… mommy's here."

Tear droplets began forming at the ends of her wrinkly eyes. Dr. Koruba told the mother that it was alright to let Hitomi cry alone for a while, but Orihime could not- just would not- leave her baby in a time of need.

The mother caressed the infant's thin layer of soft brown hair. "I know Tomi… I know."

Hitomi's colic was leaving, as her pediatrician had said, but the last day and a half, Hitomi couldn't stop crying. Orihime guessed it was just the last of her colic leaving her system before it was completely gone.

"Mommy…"

Tamotsu stood in the doorway, rubbing his sandy eyes and yawning really wide. "Mommy, I'm sleepy…."

Orihime sighed. She was hoping this wouldn't happen. Hitomi's cries have woken up Tamotsu before but she always hated having to coax two babies back to sleep.

"Tamotsu, I'm sorry. Try to go back to bed honey."

Tamotsu wanted to stay. He wanted to try to help, but his body told him otherwise. The child crept back into his room.

Orihime sat down and bounced Hitomi on her knees. Hitomi's wispy eyebrows knitted together and she opened her mouth wider, letting out a heartbreaking scream.

Ichigo returned to the baby room. He held two mugs. One filled with coffee and the other with red raspberry leaf tea. "My turn."

There was a quick exchange between parents until Ichigo ended up rocking his daughter and Orihime was drinking out of her mug of tea.

"She likes it when you hold her." Orihime observed.

Ichigo noticed it too. Hitomi's voice had lowered considerably, until it was literally a muffled mewling. Hitomi laid her head on her father's shoulder and released a few drowned out whines.

The father rubbed Hitomi's back in slow, leisure movements. "Yeah, but there's nothing like a mother's touch."

Hitomi became hungry which kept her crying at bay. It was the last night of Hitomi's excessive crying much to the family's relief.

The next night, Hitomi slept through every noise, creak, squeak, and bump. And Ichigo and Orihime slept like babies.

* * *

**Three months later.**

* * *

"Ah?"

"Ah!"

Hitomi considered her mother's answer before responding again.

"….Gah?"

Orihime threw her sudsy hands into the air and grinned. "Gah!"

Hitomi seemed to be satisfied with that answer.

Orihime continued lathering Hitomi's back and gradually moved to the infant's stomach, earning a bright smile from her daughter. She held her head up throughout the whole process for Hitomi didn't have complete neck support.

"This is your tummy…." Orihime stated, using the sponge in a repeated circular motion on her belly.

Hitomi smiled her gummy smile at her mother.

"This is your chin." Orihime tapped a sudsy finger on the infant's chubby jaw line, creating a trailing bubbly beard.

Hitomi was developing wonderfully. But Dr. Koruba said she wasn't in the green yet. Though her birth was a spontaneous one at 34 weeks and everything seemed fine, there was the slightest chance there would be a few complication in the future.

At this point in the game, there was nothing Orihime couldn't handle.

In her bedroom, Hitomi lay on her back as Orihime rubbed her dry.

As before, Orihime was awaiting the day she'll laugh. How hearing Tamotsu's laughter would make her swell with all kinds of emotion! She just wanted to relive it all over again.

Hitomi reached up and grabbed for long, thick strands of burnt-orange hair. She brought the fiery locks to her mouth but Orihime swiped them behind her shoulder before they could reach the babe's tongue.

Hitomi's own hair was something to behold. She was born with sandy brown hair, but at the roots, you could see orange- Ichigo's orange- sprouting out amongst the ochre.

The mother knew Hitomi's expressions well enough to divert her cries. It was hard to deny Hitomi anything without the waterworks that followed.

Orihime grasped her ankles and lifted them up, bouncing her bottom against the bed. "And this is your feet!"

Hitomi's frown immediately switched into a silent smile.

Orihime kissed the soles of her feet and up to her wriggling appendages. "Toes!"

Hitomi cooed and smiled. "Gah!"

"Good job!"

Orihime finished dressing her, naming each part of her body as she went along.

Hitomi responded once in a while, when she saw fit. Her goo's and aah's were completely adorable.

"Now, let's go see what's for lunch!"

**…**

After both of the girls ate- Orihime: leftover pork chops and rice and Hitomi: a large helping of nutrition milk and a good burping- the duo put on some music to burn off some energy.

Over the months, Orihime had become an expert in Hitomi's musical preferences. The babe despised Classical- much to Orihime's disappointment. Pop wasn't really her thing, unless her rattle was handy, and Country and Hip-Hop made her cry to the high heavens.

Her real passion was Jazz. Orihime guessed it was the drums and the smoothness of the saxophones… or trumpets? Whichever blow-y instrument it was, Hitomi would rest her heavy head on her mother's breast as Orihime bopped around the room, rocking her daughter gently.

After a feeding and some Jazz, Hitomi was out cold. She would lie on her back in her square playpen and suck on her pacifier. The last thing she would see is her mommy's face, kissing her on the cheek.

This was a great moment for Orihime to get some rest too. Yes, there were dishes to do and rooms to vacuum, but Hitomi still cried during the day though her colic was gone. It was the perfect time to get some extra shut-eye.

Orihime took a sofa pillow and tucked it under her head. She slept on the floor by the playpen, keeping her eyes open 'til they became too heavy to bear.

**…**

Ichigo scratched his orange head and crawled under the covers. "How was your day?"

Orihime smiled. "The usual." She closed her favorite book and placed it on her nightstand. "Hitomi slept most of the day, crying when any little thing was wrong."

Ichigo lifted an orange eyebrow. "Isn't her colic clearing up?"

Orihime crossed her arms. "That's what I thought…. Maybe it was just one of those times, you know."

Ichigo moved closer and nodded. "Yeah, I guess." He wrapped an arm around her waist and began stroking her arm gently. "Are you still _really_ tired?"

Ichigo hoped she got the hint.

Orihime threw her arms in the air in defeat. "Yes! So tired! She'll probably be up again tonight! We better get some rest."

She was oblivious. That was Orihime for you. Ichigo leaned off of her but not without kissing her shoulder first.

"You're right…" Ichigo said before pushing the blanket up against him. "We better get some rest."

* * *

**One month later.**

* * *

Orihime pointed at the window. "Look at that!"

Hitomi lifted her chubby arm and spoke though she didn't know what her nearsighted eyes were looking at. "Baa?"

Orihime nodded encouragingly. "Bird. It's a bird!"

The bird pecked at the ground for the bread crumbs Orihime scattered outside last night. Staring out the window always gave the girls something to do. It was great for Hitomi to try to identify objects and it was great for Orihime to watch, fascinated.

"Do you see the clouds? Aren't they pretty?" Orihime pointed at the sky. "White and fluffy!" Hitomi looked up at her fingers and reached for them.

Hitomi had an obsession with putting things in her mouth. No matter what it was! Since she was out of the womb, she was grasping and grabbing for anything to suck on and explore with her tongue. It was so cute, but Orihime didn't want Hitomi to become too attached to the act.

Hitomi was now becoming irritated with how hard it was to get to her mommy's fingers. Orihime refused to lend the infant her hand. The mother glance around for her pacifier but Hitomi started making that mewling noise. It was the calm before the storm.

Maybe she could give up… just this once.

Hitomi smiled as she slobbered on Orihime's knuckles. The mother found her pacifier on the table beside her and slipped it in Hitomi's mouth. The babe grabbed her mommy's shirt, held on tight, and lowered her head on her breast, content."

Orihime giggled at how flip-floppy her attitudes could be. "You are just a ball of energy," she said and began rocking the child.

"You know, you would keep me up all night when you where still in my belly. It was the weirdest thing." Orihime glanced down at the infant's fiery haired head. Dr. Koruba said she likes the sound of her voice. It helped to just talk to her about anything and she would gladly respond when she saw fit.

"…I think it was partly my fault because I would eat chocolate which was filled with caffeine and you would just kick and move all around. Then I would walk around for awhile… you were so active."

Hitomi lifted her heavy head and Orihime held her neck for support. She spoke and the pacifier fell out.

"A-ga?"

Orihime nodded, repeated her, and placed the pacifier back in. Hitomi snuggled back down between her mother's warm breasts.

It was quiet except for the muffled murmurs of the television downstairs. It was the voices of _Patrick Star_ and _SpongeBob_ _SquarePants_ goofing about that disturbed the near silent perfection.

Hitomi's wrinkly lids began slowly drooping over amber irises. Orihime rubbed her back. "I think it's about nap time." Hitomi gripped her mother's shirt tighter. She smiled at her persistence. "Oh no, don't try to fight it."

Orihime could hear her son's tiny feet coming up the stairs. "Mommy, can we go to the park?" Tamotsu asked as he entered his baby sister's room.

Orihime returned the tiring child back into her crib. "Maybe later."

Orihime lead her son back downstairs. _SpongBob_ was still playing on the television. He was delivery pizza through a sand storm while _Squidward Tentacles_ sulked, hungrily in the background.

In the kitchen, Orihime pulled out a container of _Jif_ peanut and butter celery from the refrigerator and a mini box of raisins from the cabinet.

She then sliced the celeries down the middle to create halves. Tamotsu watch his mommy put the raisins in a bowl and took all her means to the kitchen table. The boy followed giddily, happy because he knew what he got to do next.

Orihime took a butter knife and spread the peanut butter in the middle or each individual celery stick.

Tamotsu took a handful or raisins from their bowl and plopped a few on each peanut butter stuffed stick.

The duo munched on their crunchy sticks, each beaming delightfully at each other.

"Tamotsu… you know your birthday is coming up soon." Orihime placed the remaining raisins in the refrigerator. "Who do you want to invite?"

Tamotsu threw his sticky hands in the air with enthusiasm. A few loose raisins flew off of their gooey log. "Misoka! Misoka and Hiroyuki!"

Orihime turned and watched Tamotsu blow his air upward to remove a strand of dark brown hair from his face without the use of his sticky hands, but it fell right back into place afterwards.

His face twisted into a scowl, but he just shook his head and continued munching on his ants on a log.

Orihime giggled. "I figured as much."

* * *

**A few days later.**

* * *

"Geronimo!"

Hitomi released a high pitched squeal.

Ichigo picked up a plushy, colorful fish and dropped it on Hitomi's round tummy.

Before the infant could catch her breath from the last outburst, she shrieked in delight from the recent stunt.

"She'll burst if she continues laughing like that."

Ichigo smirked at the five month old infant. "Is mommy being jealous?"

Orihime slammed down her basket of laundry. "I am not jealous!"

She was not jealous! Maybe… just a little…. Just a smidgen…. She was jealous.

She was jealous because she couldn't make Hitomi laugh. If Orihime tried to do anything remotely funny like silly faces or dancing or making sounds, Hitomi would stare at her, smile at the most. But it was Ichigo who could open the gates.

Anything! Anything he did. If it was opening the morning paper to opening the refrigerator, Hitomi would go into this laughing-fit! It wasn't fair in Orihime's eyes.

Ichigo finished pulling up her cream colored jumper. "At least it's better than crying." He brought her up to his shoulder and let her rest there. "And look, she's making some progress."

All Orihime could do was roll her eyes. Ichigo stayed home for a few weeks with Hitomi until he couldn't prolong work anymore. Yes, he was a victim of her colic too, but he didn't have to deal with it through the day too.

And why was it so easy for him anyway? He was the dad. She was the mom. The baby was supposed to love her more…. Not that it was a competition or anything…

A harrumphed escaped her lips when her husband kissed her on the cheek. "Here, you take Tomi and I'll take this box to the trunk."

Ichigo lifted the heavy, gift wrapped box with the giant green bow and left the bedroom.

Orihime placed a yellow headband atop her daughter's head. "You're still adorable though," she said out loud.

They all left in the family's new Honda CR-V. Ichigo sold his beloved corvette, not because he didn't want to, but because he didn't feel the need to have it anymore.

"Are you excited?" Orihime asked as she buckled herself in.

Tamotsu squealed against his seatbelt and clapped his hands. "Mommy! It's my birthday!"

Hitomi contributed to the noise by laughing at all of the excitement and noise.

They made their first stop at a barber shop. Once Orihime saw those shears rise she broke down in tears. Tamotsu had gotten his hair cut plenty of times before, but it grew so thick, so fast, that Orihime hated seeing it go. She still had the first few snippets of his dark hair from when he was three months old, the first time.

"Orihime, it's okay." Ichigo whispered, squeezing her shoulder. "I know…" Orihime sniffled. "But… it's not the same. He's five now, this is a huge milestone…" Orihime wiped at the corner of her eyes. "He's growing up too fast, Ichigo."

Tamotsu grinned at the barber as he heard the electric razor beam to life. He giggled as the tool vibrated against his head, moving from the back of his head to the top.

Orihime covered her mouth from shouting out like the last time. Clumps of his hair fell to the ground as the barber worked around the boy's head.

In about fifteen minutes top, Tamotsu was rubbing his hand along his shaved head. "Look mommy!" He shook his head from side to side, feeling the air surround his face. "I got a cut hair! I got a cut hair!"

"It's a haircut, champ." Ichigo corrected. He paid the barber and they all left the shop again.

Orihime turned in her seat to stare at the young child rubbing his near bald head. "It's too short! He looks like he belongs in the military!"

Ichigo sighed and kept his eyes on the road. "He looks fine, Orihime."

The family made it to their final destination- BabyCakes. Orihime would stop here once or twice during the weeks. It was the only way to get out of the house besides grocery shopping, or going on long walks with Hitomi to shred some extra weight.

The first few months after Hitomi's birth, Orihime avoided sex with Ichigo at _all_ costs. She was too embarrassed with her body. With Tamotsu, it all snapped back into place a few days later. But with Hitomi, extra weight still hung around in places that weren't meant for hanging.

It was terrible the first time they tried, post-Hitomi. Ichigo's body was toned and muscular. Somewhere amongst the drama in their lives, he managed to make it to the gym once in a while. While Orihime was frumpy, and tired, and wore this old oversized T-shirt which Ichigo tried to remove but Orihime refused and it ended with a giant, confused, awkward silence.

Well, after a few strenuous lessons with Tatsuki and other postpartum workouts, things slowly morphed into better places. And sex wasn't a problem anymore, though Ichigo didn't mind her figure in the first place, claiming that he didn't care what size she was, that he loved her for who she was.

Sex _definitely_ wasn't a problem anymore.

Tamotsu ran into the building as shouted and danced in place.

All of the tables had green striped tablecloths and sparkly dinosaur centerpiece.

Misoka and Hiroyuki waved at the boy. There were a few other preschoolers, those Orihime didn't recognize. Ichigo and Orihime made small talk with their parents while the kids played Pin-the-tail-on-the-Dinosaur and Repeat It games until the birthday cake was brought out from the kitchen.

All the children burst in laughter at the sight of the fat dino and its skinny arms and neck. Ichigo helped with guiding Tamotsu's hand during the first slicing. There was no shortage of pictures taken.

It made Orihime happy to see Tamotsu happy.

It was hard with the newborn and all, but her little Monkey had it the hardest. She wasn't able to give him her full attention anymore and she wanted to reach out to him, but her attention could only be stretch so far.

He would understand when he was older. And it wouldn't be all that bad. Hitomi wouldn't be a newborn forever, and Orihime could finally relax and give them equal time.

"Who will you give your first piece to?" Ichigo asked. It was customary when he was growing up that the birthday kid got to hand out the first slice of cake to anyone they wanted.

Tamotsu looked around the room. He looked at Misoka would grinned back but his head twisted and turned until he found what he was looking for. Tamotsu scooted off the chair, took the plate and handed it over to the sleeping baby in his mother's arms.

"Hitomi!" he shouted gleefully.

Everyone clapped at how adorable it all was but Orihime shook her head, smiling. "Tamotsu, Hitomi can't eat cake yet."

Tamotsu looked back down at the plate and back up at his mommy. He turned on his heels and returned to the main table, pushing the plate over to his best friend, Misoka.

Tamotsu couldn't have been any happier that day.

* * *

**One year later.**

* * *

Tamotsu ran up the steps, nearly tripping his drowsy father in the process.

Ichigo lifted his leg for his the boy to crawl under. "Woah! Slow down there, champ!"

The man continued down the stairs and into the kitchen where his wife and daughter waited.

Hitomi was humming a

Ichigo kissed his sleepy wife on the cheek before moving to the island where his coffee was brewing. "Morning."

"Morning."

Hitomi raised her soggy hands and waved them in the air. "Bye-bye!"

"Bye-bye" was Hitomi's favorite phrase. Orihime suspected that she picked it up on one of her educational programs, when the hosts and their cartoon friends waved goodbye to everyone at the end of the show. It was basically the only real words she could say aside from 'side (outside), Masoo (Tamotsu), milk, or hunry (hungry).

Orihime was worried as to why her vocabulary was so limited.

Dr. Koruba said it was common for certain milestones to be delayed considering she was a preemie, but Orihime didn't like excuses when it came to her children. She was scared that there must have been something _wrong_ with her.

But only time could tell.

Orihime finished mashing a bowl of mashed bananas and sweet potatoes. She placed the bowl in front of her one and a half year old. "Ichigo, next time you're out, can you pick up more bleach? We ran out."

Ichigo scratched his orange, spiky hair. "Mhmm, sure…"

Hitomi put her spoon down and closed her eyes, deep in concentration. Her hair had grown down to her ears, making her look exactly like a mini, female-version of Ichigo. "E…. e…"

Ichigo put his mug of coffee down. "You okay princess?"

Hitomi huffed and tried again. "…E… Esh… Esh-go…"

Orihime looked up from her own breakfast.

"Eshgo?" Hitomi raised her brows and looked at her parents. "Eshgo!"

Orihime put her fork down on the counter. "No… no, no." Orihime shook her burnt-orange head and approached Hitomi's high chair. "This is daddy."

Hitomi made the concentration face again, determined to get it right. "Oh… or… Or-e-may? Oremay!" She lifted her spoon in the air in triumph, splattering banana and sweet potato mash everywhere. "Oremay!"

Orihime shook her head again and pressed her hand to her chest. "Mommy."

Hitomi stared for a moment and then repeated it again. "Oremay!"

"No!" Orihime pointed at herself then to Ichigo. "Mommy. Daddy."

Hitomi looked at her father. "Eshigo!"

Orihime glanced at her husband. Ichigo smiled wearily and shrugged. "She learning," he whispered.

"Not this way, she isn't." Orihime muttered. The woman placed her hands on her hips stubbornly. "Hitomi. I am mommy. This is daddy."

Hitomi made that face again. "Mm… mm… mammy?"

Both parents sighed in relief.

"Daddy." Orihime repeated.

Hitomi looked at her father, unsure of the answer. "Eshigo?" she said innocently, with large amber eyes.

"Daddy." Orihime said sternly.

"….Addy?"

"Yes!" both parents cheered in unison.

Hitomi smiled gleefully at her parents. "Addy.… Mammy!"

* * *

**Like I said, a filler. But what do you guys think about Hitomi as a character. I want to make her completely different from Tamotsu, so we'll see her true character develop in later chapters.**

**I'm working on a new one-shot if anyone's interested. It's called Joy and you can view a preview on a profile.**

**Anywho, next week's chapter will have more meaning, I promise!**

**Rocka.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:** Me no own Bleach! Continue on you drama-lovers!

* * *

**Four years later.**

* * *

Orihime walked past her daughter's room and stared at her playing with her dolls. Hitomi knew they had a big day today, it was her last day in preschool and there was to be some sort of move-up ceremony. "…Hitomi, are you ready?" Orihime asked.

Hitomi grumbled but continued playing with her Barbie dolls. She sat crossed legged on her floor pretending not to hear her mother.

"Hitomi…" Orihime warned.

Hitomi stood. She stomped her foot once but still obeyed her mother, walking out of the room and by her side.

Now, Orihime loved her daughter. But she could be… well… she could be pretty stubborn. Even more stubborn then herself or Ichigo. It was the most frustrating thing to deal with when Hitomi decided her mood for the day. Orihime asked Dr. Koruba when Hitomi would grow out of her "terrible two's". Hitomi was now five and a half.

Orihime put her hands on her wide hips. "Take off the wings."

If Orihime was a fortuneteller, she would have never brought those glittery, pink fairy wings last year for Christmas. Hitomi wore those god forsaken wings every other day. They had lost most of their glitter after the first month and they used to light up but after an accident with the pool, that feature no longer worked. After a year of wear and tear, the top of the right wing what bent and the seams around the edges where in tatters.

…Yet, the toddler insisted on wearing the raggedy thing. And Orihime wasn't heartless. She left her baby have her fun and wear it all the time, but today just wasn't the day.

Hitomi imitated her mother and put her hands on her hips. "Humph."

Orihime crossed her arms. "Hitomi, give it to me."

Now Ichigo, on the other hand, always gave in. He gave Hitomi what she wanted, when she wanted it. And… the subject's been a soft spot for Orihime at the moment.

Ichigo stuck his head through the door, looking from wife to daughter and back. "Let her wear them."

Orihime glared at Ichigo for not being on her side. "But, she can't."

"Why not?"

"Because… because she can't okay." Orihime watched Ichigo pick Hitomi up and hitch her to his hip. "But she looks so damn adorable."

Hitomi laughed when Ichigo kissed her chubby cheek. It was hard for Orihime to stay mad at that. They looked so much alike.

It was exactly split moments like these which Orihime cherished. She liked having a miniature, female, Ichigo running about. Orihime really wanted another, but didn't know how to bring it up again.

Ichigo never made any indication that he wanted another. Seeing him now, playing around with Hitomi, it just made all of their efforts worth it. But wasn't it natural for Orihime to want more?

The woman didn't know if this feeling was greed or need. Either way, Orihime needed to bring the subject back up soon, or maybe it would be too late.

**…**

"I can't begin to tell you how wonderful it's been to have another Kurosaki under our family roof." A phony smile spread across Miss Haruguchi's thin lips.

Hitomi twisted and fidgeted in her new dress. Orihime could tell she just wanted to run around the classroom with her fairy wings on, crawling and jumping off things. Well, Hitomi, Orihime thought. You'll just have to hold in there.

The woman clapped her pasty thin hands together but the sound rung in Orihime's ears uncomfortably, snapping her back to attention. "She was always very… spirited."

"Spirited" was the best word Miss Haruguchi could use. On many occasions, Hitomi had stirred up trouble within the classrooms of this preschool, from spilling paint all over Miss Haruguchi's dress and shoes –which Ichigo insisted on paying for- to biting another student on the arm. In Hitomi's defense, she was going through a biting phase, and the boy was being very mean!

Orihime smiled. "Thank you, Miss Haruguchi."

"I am bestowing upon her the Spirit award. For always- and I mean always- speaking her mind when ever and wherever she wants." Her face twitched a little when she pulled the plastic medal over the child's head.

Hitomi was outspoken at times, but that was normal for a five year old… right?

After Miss Haruguchi went around the class, giving every preschooler an award, they were allowed to leave. This was to be the last time Orihime would see the preschool again. Ichigo and Orihime had talked about more kids, and after visiting Dr. Urahara a few times, it seemed like a possibility, though the doctor told the couple to err on the side of caution. _Anything_ could happen.

* * *

**Later that day.**

* * *

Orihime wrapped her arms around Ichigo from behind and kissed his shoulder.

"Orihime…" he groaned tiredly.

Orihime applied pressure to the base of his neck, working her way down to his shoulder blades. She rubbed her hands gently down his spine and smiled when he responded with a sigh of relief.

Orihime needed to bring up the baby thing now. She hoped he wouldn't try to avert her actions like before. He was so sneaky at it.

"Ori-"

She kissed his cheek and stopped him from talking. "The kids are fast asleep," she whispered in his ear, the trail she made from his shoulder to his ear made him shiver in anticipation. "The house is completely quiet… when will we ever get a better time?"

His lips seized hers' again and Orihime couldn't do anything but melt into his arms. His hands came to the hem of her nightie and slowly rolled it over her arms and head.

Orihime gasped when Ichigo's fingers managed to slip between her pink underwear. "Ichigo!" she blushed and released a silent moan.

Ichigo moved over her, rubbing his lips over her chest. Orihime brought his lips back to his own. Ichigo's hand moved outward and began caressing her inner thigh.

_This was easier then I thought_, Orihime mentally said to herself. _Maybe I should- Oh! …. Maybe the conversation can wait for later…_

**…**

Hitomi rubbed her crusty eyes. She could feel her Chappy pajamas sticking to her skin around her back from her sweat.

The girl felt her eyes become prickly from impending tears. The monsters in her dreams were chasing her again. And every time she thought she was getting away, she would trip and the monsters would catch her!

Hitomi suppressed a cry as tears slipped down her cheeks. It was scary! She thought they were really going to get her this time! …In fact… Hitomi's ears perked up. Did she hear a groan…?

"Aah…"

Hitomi yelped and hid under her blanket. She pulled a few stuffed animals under with her and held on for dear life. The monsters were back! The monsters were in her room, making noises. Hitomi dug her face in her fluffy friends and sat really quiet.

They were going to get her! They were going to get to her and eat her right up!

The little girl tucked the blanket under her feet, so they wouldn't see her and snatch her away.

Hitomi wanted to run to her daddy so he could save her. But if she left, the monsters would surely see her and steal her away and she would never ever see her family again. Never, ever, ever, never again!

"Mmm… oh God…"

…Wait a second… Hitomi gasped. That sounded like her mother!

Hitomi jumped off her bed.

She couldn't let the monsters get to her mother! Even if they wanted to eat her, Hitomi would protect anyone and everyone she loved.

They were going to hurt her! They were going to take her mommy instead? What type of cruel creatures were these?

Hitomi crept through the hall as to not make too much noise. Her tiny, sock clad toes tiptoed on the carpeted floor. If she wasn't careful, the monsters would snatch her too!

And it was there the child heard something peculiar.

"Ichigo…. Oh, yes… unnn…"

It was a breathy, raspy sound, almost muffled. It made Hitomi think hard as to what it meant. It was her mother's voice but not the exact tone she was expecting…

Fresh tears rolled down Hitomi's face. She shook her head in denial of her conclusion.

It was daddy! Daddy was the one hurting her mommy. Daddy was making her say those noises.

Hitomi wanted to run back into her room and hid under her blanket forever! She took a few steps backwards. There was another groan from the other side. She just couldn't leave her mommy in there, she just couldn't!

The girl boldly pushed her parent's door open slowly and stared wide eyed at the adults. "Daddy…?"

**…**

Ichigo didn't realize how fun it was to try to make Orihime make noises.

It was the quietest they have ever been when together; they should have gotten an award for quietest sex session ever.

"Ichigo…. Oh, yes… unnn…" Orihime bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out.

Ichigo smiled and kissed her, allowing her to release a suppressed moan into him without making to much noise. _Yeah_, Ichigo thought, _the Guinness world records…_

"Ichigo, did you hear that?" Orihime abruptly sat up. She pushed Ichigo back a little and craned her neck over his shoulder to look at the door.

"No…" The man kissed her again and pushed her back down. "Just relax. The kids are sleeping…" He reminded her. Ichigo turned her body under him and he got a view of her glorious backside. Orihime began sighing again when he rubbed his large hands against her spine, the same way she did for him.

Ichigo smirked. She got him in the mood, so she was going to follow through.

"Daddy…?"

Orihime jumped up. "Ichigo!"

Ichigo turned to the tiny voice. His daughter had tears streaking down her wide, innocently scared face.

Under the covers, the adults threw items of their clothes back on before running over to the frightened child.

Orihime bent down to her daughter's level, squatting in front of her and wiping her face off. "Hitomi, baby… why- why are you up, honey?"

Ichigo took the moment to pull his boxers back on under the covers while Hitomi was distracted. Orihime had already stolen his shirt at the moment so he got up and squatted by his daughter too.

Hitomi sniffled and looked around the bedroom. She didn't see any monsters…. But why was daddy nakey-nakey on mommy? Was he really hurting her?

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

Orihime continued wiping overlooked tears. "Nothing baby…" the mother looked up at husband. "…we were just…"

"Umm…"

"Wrestling," they said in unison.

Ichigo smiled at Hitomi. "Hitomi what's wrong, why are you awake?" He reached up to the child's face and wiped her tears away.

"I had a bad dream…" Her tiny pink lips started to wobble. "The monsters were trying to get me daddy…" She squeezed her amber eyes shut. "And they were getting mommy!"

"How about we go check it out-" Orihime reached out for her hand but the child recoiled. Hitomi threw her arms around Ichigo's neck. "No! I want daddy!"

Orihime was stunned. Hitomi had never rejected her so harshly before.

Ichigo gave his wife a weary smile before picking up Hitomi's small frame and carrying her out of the room.

"Was that noise the monsters….?" Orihime heard Hitomi ask as her voice faded down the corridor.

**…**

"I want this one… and this one… Oh! And these!" Hitomi reached for boxes of cereal and pushed them over the edge of the shopping cart.

Orihime shook her head at her daughters' choices. "Hitomi, put this back."

Orihime needed to get out of the house and away from Ichigo. After the whole caught-in-the-act fiasco, Ichigo said they should refrain from sex for awhile, just until things blew over.

Hitomi pouted. "But I like Wheaty Kitty! This is the best stuff on earth!" She lifted the colorful box of cereal over her head, hopped up and down in place, and then began singing the commercial jingle, her orangey-brown pigtails bouncing up and down as she went. Even her crooked fairy wings danced and glittered under the bright store lights.

"Look at that kitty go! I guess the cat's out the box!"

Ichigo had checked under the bed, in the closet, and in all the drawers. He reassured his daughter there were no monsters, and dodged every question about the animalistic noises she heard. One story and a kiss later, she was fast asleep.

Orihime cursed those monsters to every kind of hell there was. She wasn't trying to trap Ichigo, just gently ease him into the right frame of mind. She wouldn't be able to have another baby if she wasn't able to actually get "it" in.

Hitomi continued singing the jingle, trying to get her mother's attention again. Orihime rubbed her aching forehead and breathed heavily. "Hitomi, I said put it back."

Hitomi hated not getting her way. But she put the box back anyway as slowly as she possibly could, hoping that her mother would change her mind. She didn't.

"Tamotsu, what do you want?" Orihime had almost forgotten he was there. The nine year old was constantly quiet. And if he didn't have his nose in a book, he was at a friends house, and if not that, a pencil in one hand homework in the other.

Tamotsu glanced up from his book. "Hmm?"

Orihime waited patiently. "What cereal?"

Tamotsu gazed at the wall of colorful boxes. "…I don't know…" It so happened that he picked up the most colorful one of them all. "These."

Wheaty Kitty.

"Alright," Orihime mumbled and put the box in the shopping cart. "Fine."

Hitomi laughed at the irony of it all and began reciting the jingle all over again.

"Look at that kitty go! I guess the cat's out the box!"

**…**

Hitomi's amber eyes followed one movement to the next. She couldn't resist scampering to the kitchen when the smell of chocolate chips wafted through the house. "Mommy, can I have a cookie?"

Orihime continued transferring the cooled cookies onto a plate. "Not now, Hitomi. You can have one after dinner."

Hitomi was never a girl to take "no" for an answer.

Hitomi stood by the counter, he small finger grasping at the sides, straining to see over the marble. "But-but-"

"Hitomi, I said no."

The little girl harrumphed. If she couldn't get what she wanted directly, she'd use a different strategy. A back way, a shortcut.

She child hopped down the steps, to the basement where her daddy's office was. Hitomi poked her head over her father's desk. "Daddy… I watcha doing?" He was writing something down on a piece of paper. He was using a pen. Mommy said she wasn't allowed to use pens because they are messy. Hitomi wanted to use a pen too.

Ichigo sighed. "Work, honey."

Hitomi pushed a stool next to his desk and hopped on it. She loomed over his paperwork and stared at her working father. "Can I work with you?"

"We can't play right now, this is big person work."

"But I can work too!" Hitomi ran upstairs and was back in Ichigo's office within seconds with a piece of yellow construction paper and a purple marker. The child crawled back onto the stool and began writing words that rhymed together, like scat and cat, just like the way she learned from Miss Haruguchi.

Ichigo watched her oversized letters take up the yellow paper. "See!"

"Hitomi…" Ichigo sighed again, tired. "…is there anything you need right now?"

A mischievous grin crawled onto Hitomi's tiny lips. "…can I have a cookie?"

Ichigo nodded. "Sure, why not."

Hitomi pouted and raised her hands. "But I can't reach them!"

Ichigo put his pen down. He walked back up the stairs, Hitomi followed behind, right on his heels. Ichigo handed her one cookie and returned to his den in the basement.

Hitomi took a huge bite the first time and smiled at how amazingly her plan worked. She walked into the living room, passing her brother who was reading a book on the couch.

"The ants go marching two by two, hoorah, hoorah! Ants march by three by three, hoorah, hoorah…. um… The ants are marching five by five…"

Orihime stopped when she saw Hitomi nibbling on a chocolate chip cookie, her fingers were sticky with the dark substance and she sucked it all off on by one.

Orihime put her magazine down, flabbergasted. "…Hitomi…. Didn't I say no cookies?"

Hitomi enlarged her amber eyes; muster the most innocent look possible. "Daddy gave it to me!"

Orihime didn't know how she got down there so fast, but before she knew it, she was standing in front of Ichigo's desk.

Ichigo slowly looked up at his irate wife. "Everything okay?" He asked, straightening up.

Orihime shook her head. "Ichigo, this babying Hitomi business has got to stop."

Ichigo frowned. "Babying Hitomi… what are you talking about?"

"I specifically told her she couldn't have a cookie before dinner yet she walks around, sucking the chocolate off her fingers as we speak!"

"So… it was only one cookie."

Ichigo was genuinely confused.

Orihime crossed her arms. "Yeah, and one cookie turns into two, then four, then ten!"

"Where is all of this coming from?" Ichigo stood up and walked around his desk. "Is this all because-"

"This is all because you spoil her!"

The cat was definitely out of the bag- or should it say box?

"I do not!" Ichigo spat back.

"You do too! She has more toys up there then she can count!" Orihime put her hands on her hips. "You buy her endless crap and all she has to do is poke out her lip."

"And what about you? You don't give her enough love!"

"Oh please, yes I do."

"No, you don't. But when Tamotsu gets an award- or anything! You're happy about it. You'll give him anything he wants. What about Hitomi?"

Tamotsu and Hitomi sat at the top of the basement stairs, listening in on the argument going on downstairs.

Hitomi looked up at her big brother. "Mommy and daddy are screaming…"

"That has nothing to do with-"

"You aren't proud of her!"

Hitomi's eyes began to water and Tamotsu rubbed her back soothingly. It was rare their parents ever raised their voices at each other. But Tamotsu remembered, vaguely though.

He remembered his mommy crying and upset after voice were raised. He remembered telling his friend Misoka that he would never make her cry. The same went for his little sister.

Orihime shook her head. "I never said I wasn't!"

"But you never said you were!" Ichigo grasped his spiky, orange hair. "You just assumed that since Tamotsu isn't-"

Ichigo stopped abruptly stopped mid-sentence. The whole house seemed to tilt in anticipation.

Orihime didn't want to think about what would have come next.

…_Since Tamotsu isn't my son, I love Hitomi more…._

His unfinished sentence lingered in the air for a few moments before he turned on his heels and went back to his desk.

"I have work to do," Ichigo mumbled over his shoulder.

Orihime didn't know where to go from here. She didn't even know she confronted Ichigo anyway. Orihime took a deep breath. "Yeah, well, me too!" She turned around and stomped up the steps, ignoring the fact that she heard her children scrambling away from the door.

* * *

**A few days later.**

* * *

Ichigo poked his head out the back door. Orihime was sitting in a chair belonging to their patio set. She was reading, taking her time flipping the page.

After a minute she looked up at him. "Hi."

"Hey." Ichigo stepped onto the deck, a little embarrassed at being caught. "…Nice weather."

Orihime turned another page. "Mhmm."

The man pulled out a wrought iron chair and leaned forward. Ichigo had gone over this conversation in his mind a few times during the days. He couldn't let what he said hang around in the air anymore. Every time he passed Orihime, or looked at her, he felt a buzz of shame. It didn't help that she acted like nothing was wrong.

"Orihime… It's not that I don't love Tamotsu…" Ichigo closed his eyes and raked his hands through his hair. "…I'm just harder on him because I have so much faith in him. He's a wonderful son; I couldn't have asked anything more."

Ichigo looked up at his wife. Her expression didn't change, not that he was looking for a reaction. She just turned another page in her book.

Ichigo continued. "I love him. Not because I have to but because I just do. He's my boy and I'm trying to raise him the best I can. The best I know."

There was "thump" sound and Ichigo looked up again. Orihime's book lay on the glass table. She, on the other hand, had her arms crossed, looking out into the yard.

Ichigo found his opportunity and scooted his chair closer. "And I know you care about Hitomi just as much. You love our children equally and I do too, but I just show it differently… and so do you."

Orihime turned her head slowly. Her brows were crumbled together and she made a worried face that Ichigo hadn't seen in a long time. She looked like the younger Orihime, with her wide, watery, gray eyes and tumbling burnt-orange hair.

"…. I'm sorry." She whispered. "Hitomi's not that spoiled. And I've contributed to it too… I mean, I'm a sucker for her crying too."

Ichigo grinned his sparkling grin. "Those big brown eyes."

Orihime nodded, beginning to smile too. "Those cheeks."

Yes, Hitomi was a mischievous one. But Orihime loved her. She was also brave and courageous, willing to fight through a horde of monsters to save her mother.

It was quiet again. Though he was making small talk, Ichigo was right. It was nice out. Not too warm, but a light breeze passed by from time to time, evening it all out.

Ichigo looked back over at Orihime. She was staring off in space again. "I feel like you're holding back from me… is there anything you want to tell me?"

Orihime shrugged and smiled back at him again, this time a little more weary. "No… I'm happy… I'm…"

It was quiet, again.

Orihime looked back out at the yard.

"I know you want more children." She heard him say.

The mother let her head fall in shame.

Ichigo watched her crossed arms tighten and her whole body become stiff. "I don't think we're ready yet... I don't think we should force it."

Orihime didn't know what to say… what could she say? He wasn't ready yet and she shouldn't force it.

Ichigo stood and wrapped his arms around her, including the wrought iron chair and her crossed arms. "…It should be natural…" He bent his neck and kissed her forehead. "When it happens, it happens."

Orihime craned her neck to look up at him. She didn't smile, nor did she frown. "Yes." She said. "_Anything_ can happen."

* * *

**This chapter was a little rushed. I was busy all week planning a relatives' baby shower which I have to go to next week. Sorry for any grammatical mistakes.**

**Next week is a very big chapter for every character. This chapter was more of a peek at Hitomi's behavior and a update on this Ichihime relationship. I hope I didn't make Hitomi too much of a brat.**

'**til next week!**

**Rocka.**

**P.S. **I hope I won't get banned! The caught-in-the-act scenes were a little more explicit then I thought!


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N:** I noticed that many of you were upset at the lack of Tamotsu in the previous chapter. Rest assured Tamotsu is still a major component in this story and will not be forgotten (no pun intended). I'm working on an upcoming chapter about him.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Barbie or any other brands mentioned- at all.

* * *

**One year later.**

* * *

The woman waited until her boss put his phone back into the base before knocking on his door. "Kurosaki-san?"

Ichigo scrawled down a few notes before looking up at his receptionist. "Yadōmaru-san?"

Lisa crossed the room and handed her boss one file after the other. "I have the report on the social media site you wanted. You have a lunch meeting at one with Hamasaki-san and Fujita-san, another meeting at three."

Ichigo opened the second file and lifted his right eyebrow. His eyes scanned down the page. He caught a few words here and there but nothing really stood out. "With who?"

"The investors from Gotei Industries, for their press release."

"Ahh, now I remember." Ichigo closed the folder and handed it back to the receptionist. Lisa began walking out but stopped when her boss called after her. "Yes, Kurosaki-san?"

Ichigo continued writing quick notes down on his pad before looking up again. "Find me a price on the new Barbie doll house?" He smiled at her expression. "One with an elevator."

The phone rang and Ichigo picked it up, switching back to his business voice.

Lisa's right eye twitched. "Yes, Kurosaki-san." Lisa returned to her computer and Google searched Barbie houses. She hated doing personal tasks for him though the requests were rare.

It was the holiday season after all, and she knew he would be too busy to physically go out shopping himself. And besides, that one beach house came with a Barbie, who looked great in her swimsuit.

**…**

"Maybe instead of- of a monster cake, we should make a princess cake."

Orihime pushed her rolling pin back and forth against the slab of green fondant. "That's not what the client wanted, Hitomi."

Hitomi thought for a moment the way she always did. "If I a client, I wouldn't pick the monster cake." Hitomi pointed at the snarling three-eyed fondant creature. "Look at the monster; he's just all not happy… He's scary and he's- he's not happy." Hitomi stated matter-of-factly. "Why is he upset?"

"Why do you think he's upset?" Michiru asked as she pushed a pan of chocolate cupcakes into an oven.

Hitomi tapped her bottom lip before answering. "…I think he's upset because he's a monster cake. Who wants to be a monster cake?" She shook her wavy hair in disapproval. "No one likes monsters."

Hitomi grinned when she heard Kaito, the intern, chortle at hersilly opinion. His hands were steady as he piped white beards on a batch of Santa Claus cookies. Orihime knew choosing him was a good idea. He added a nice touch to BabyCakes.

Orihime dusted the fondant with a rusted olive-green color. "What kind of birthday cake do you want for your birthday next year?" she asked her

The child's face lit up. "I want a giant pink cake with- with the castle and me and Cinderella on the top."

Hitomi jumped down from her stool and ran out of the kitchen. The girl hopped up the stairs, into her mother's office, and was back on her stool in a flash orange and pink. "See?" Hitomi waved her lunch box in the air for the whole kitchen to see. "Like my lunchbox. Cinderella!"

"Hmm…" Orihime hummed, distantly. Orihime knew she had to keep Hitomi talking to keep her out of mischief. Once, last year, Hitomi dipped her fingers into a cooling pan of marble cake… Let's just say Orihime is glad the girl had grown out of her "terrible twos". Though it only took her until she was six.

"So you want a princess cake, not a monster cake."

Hitomi nodded. "Yes ma'am."

Orihime lifted the birthday cake and stored it in the refrigerator, where it would wait before being picked up tomorrow.

"Alright." The mother said, wiping her hands on her apron. "Ready to go?"

Hitomi jumped down from her stool again. "Yes!"

**…**

Ichigo rapped his pen against the table impatiently.

"Kurosaki." Ishida rumbled and lowered his voice. "Patience."

Ichigo glanced at his watch. It was 2:58. "Well where the hell are they?"

Most of his days were built around meetings about quotas and clients. But today, the air around the office building felt different. There was something up with, well, everyone.

Ichigo stood up. "It makes no sense to keep us waiting." He watched his watch tick to three. "What time were they supposed to be here anyway?"

"Three o'clock sharp, remember?"

Ichigo glared up at the female.

Rukia put her hands on her pencil skirted hips. "Or didn't you get the memo?" Rukia filed in followed by three others. Only one Ichigo remembered seeing in a picture with Byakuya leaving the Kuchiki Brand Headquarters.

Ichigo returned to his chair. "You've become a little too punctual, don't you think?"

Her sarcastic smirk disappeared as she sat down. "Things change."

She had definitely changed. Rukia's hair was cut shorter then before, hanging along her jaw line. Though always fit, her body was toner, healthier. And it wasn't just her appearance. She seemed older, more mature. She looked capable of handling much more then before.

Ichigo scowled when he realized everyone in the room, excluding Rukia and himself, where holding their breaths. "Has everyone suddenly forgotten what they're here to do?"

Heads bowed down in embarrass silence.

Ichigo glanced at Ishida who nudged Kenta, an employee working on the collaboration.

Kenta stood and straightened his suit. He was another young man on the rise, much like Ichigo when he was younger. Kenta cleared his throat, seizing everyone's attention. "So. We'll start with this month's agenda…"

**…**

The six year old danced in her chair after taking a bite out of her macaroni and cheese. "M-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m."

The child's mother grinned down at her. "Hitomi, dinner is delicious!"

Hitomi paused her dancing to nod. "Mhmm!"

Tonight, Hitomi helped to make the macaroni and cheese. Normally the girl was setting the table or calling everyone downstairs to eat. But since Hitomi was actually involved in making the meal, she was very pleased with herself.

"Hitomi, Tamotsu, we're going to see Santa-san tomorrow. Are you excited?"

Christmas was in three weeks! Just the other day, Orihime took Hitomi and Tamotsu out for a drive when the sun went down to look at all the pretty Christmas lights. The greens and reds and whites were so magical. You could only get it around this time of the year.

"Mhmm!" Hitomi shoved another forkful in her mouth. "Yes ma'am!"

Christmas was Orihime's favorite holiday aside from Halloween. That year, Ichigo, dressed as Frankenstein, took a vampire Tamotsu and a Funshine Care Bear Hitomi out trick-or-treating. Orihime stayed home and handed out candy to all the children on the block as… well… she didn't really know what she was. When she first began stitching the costume, it was supposed to be a pumpkin then it became a ghost. Ichigo complained that it wasn't really a costume and it didn't make any sense, but Orihime wasn't about to admit it to him.

"Did you make your list?"

"Yupper! I put it in the mailbox so the elves will come and give it to Santa-san."

A simple system Ichigo came up with. The kids would put their Christmas list in the mailbox and Ichigo would snatch them out when the kids went in the house.

Orihime split Hitomi's bread roll in half, because if she didn't, the poor girl would try to bite into the whole thing again if she didn't. "What did you put on the list?"

Hitomi shook her wavy haired head. "Nope, nope, nope. Santa-san won't give me my presents if I tell you."

Orihime already knew what Hitomi wanted. Every time the Barbie Dream Mansion commercial would come on, Hitomi would literally drool at the mouth. She almost ran into the television screen if it weren't for Ichigo grabbing her by the collar.

Orihime turned to her son. He was playing on some sort of handheld toy and cheered when he scored a point. "Tamotsu, what about you?"

Tamotsu blinked. "Huh?"

Orihime swallowed some rice. "Your list?"

Tamotsu thought for a moment and nodded.

Orihime had the sneaking suspicion that Tamotsu caught Orihime and Ichigo setting up his gifts. Yes, she guessed that one of his friends told him that Santa Claus wasn't real, but he must've wanted to know the truth for himself for Orihime thought she heard tiny feet running back up the stairs a few years back.

She was just grateful that he still followed along and didn't ruin to jig for his little sister.

"Did you speak to Misoka today?"

Tamotsu put his toy down slowly. "…Yes."

After a long time in the hospital, Misoka's grandfather died. It's no secret that her grandmother would soon follow, so Misoka's Aunt Mai is now her legal guardian. Mai and her husband decided to move in to save Misoka the hassle of finding a new life in a new environment.

"She could really use a friend... It all must be very hard for her." Orihime always liked Misoka. She was a little lady, never too rowdy like Tamotsu's other friends and always polite.

Tamotsu nodded, probing at his food and avoiding his mother's gaze. "Mm."

Orihime instead stirred the conversation away from Misoka. Tamotsu went on about how, at Hiroyuki's house, his friend Isamu got hit with a baseball.

"Hiro hit the ball, but when Isamu tired to catch it, the ball rolled up his arm and hit his nose. There was blood everywhere!"

Orihime gasped. "Did he go to the hospital?"

Tamotsu shook his head unworriedly. "No. He had to hold his head back like this the whole time. I thought it was pretty cool."

The mother shook her head in disapproval. "Tamotsu, you should send him a 'get well soon' card. There's nothing 'cool' about bleeding."

The boy lifted an "are you serious?" brow at his mother- a gesture he undoubtedly picked up from Ichigo. Hitomi giggled at her older brother's expression.

Orihime sighed, defeated. "Well… I'm glad you didn't get hurt."

Hitomi looked down at her empty plate and then around the table. "Where's daddy?"

"Um." Orihime had gotten a quick text from Ichigo saying he would be late tonight. "He's at work." The mother picked up her empty plate and her daughter followed.

On her toes, Hitomi placed her plate in the kitchen sink. "Will he eat my macaroni and- and cheese?" Hitomi really wanted her daddy to taste the food she made.

The mother took Tamotsu's plate off the table. Hitomi trailed her every step waiting for an answer. "…He'll probably not make dinner in time, no."

Orihime watched her daughter's face fall in disappointment.

"But we can make him a plate so he can eat when he gets home."

Hitomi's amber eyes brighten to their usual amber sparkle. "Daddy's gonna like my mac and cheese!"

**…**

Ichigo closed his bedroom door behind him and slumped into his closet. He switched on the lamp on the nightstand and glared at the alarm clock. 11:27.

Orihime felt the bed shake and creaked from the added pressure. Heat emanated from the muscular body, and Orihime wrapped herself around his arm happily. "…Ichigo…" She whispered drowsily. "How was your day?"

Though her eyes were closed, she still felt the lights go off from the bedside lamp.

The woman smiled when his fingers stroked down her jaw. It tickled.

"Better," his voice murmured. "Now that I'm here."

Orihime felt something soft, yet firm- his lips, maybe- caress her earlobe.

"With you."

This time she did giggle. His arms wound around her waist, pulling her closer. Orihime's own arms came around his neck until they couldn't move any nearer.

A few moments later, Orihime tried to get her words out between their kisses. "Did something… happen… today… at work?"

The man paused.

Orihime's eyes fluttered open. His expression didn't strike her as odd. He didn't look sad, or happy, or mad. Just... content.

"Yes." Ichigo smothered her lips with his again, bringing her back to the task at hand. He groped his way downward.

"Yes, but it's only made me love you more."

* * *

**Three weeks later.**

* * *

"Mommy!" Hitomi hoped by the window, pushing her face against the cold glass. Her words were muffled against the pane and Orihime told her to speak up. "Look mommy! It snowed last night!"

The whole morning was buzzing with anticipation. It was Christmas Eve- the most loathed day in any child's life, the speed bump in the road to the day that revolved around any adolescence's world.

Ichigo crouched to Hitomi's level and looked out the window too. "Hmm. Looks fun out there, doesn't it?" Hitomi nodded enthusiastically. "Hitomi… Tamotsu? Want to go make snowmen?"

Hitomi squealed and grabbed her brother's arm. "Snowman, Tammy! Snowman!"

Orihime made sure her children were bundled up tight before leaving the house. Snow was still falling lightly and she didn't want her babies getting sick.

Hitomi patted more snow onto the giant frozen ball. "Look daddy! I- I make my snowman like Tammy's."

The ten year old took his green scarf off and twisted it around the creation's neck. Tamotsu snowman was near perfection. Every stacked circle flawlessly round and white. And Hitomi's was, well… she'd get there one day.

"Very nice," Ichigo said and nodded in approval.

Hitomi shook her head just to see the furry pink pompoms on her hat bounce around.

Ichigo trudged through the snow to see what his wife was creating. Orihime was patting down snow on top of snow until it… it looked like a giant blob of snow. Ichigo gave a cheeky smile, unable to hold back his tiny chuckles. "Orihime… Orihime what is that?"

Orihime stood up and huffed. It was supposed to be a reindeer, like the ice sculpture she saw in the city. But seeing the look on her husband's suppressed face, she wasn't about to tell him that. "It's a giant… um… it's a…"

"It looks like…" Ichigo tilted his head to the side, and so did his smile. "Like a rock?"

"Ichigo!" Orihime pouted, crossing her arms. "It's a reindeer!"

With that, Ichigo balled out laughing, walking away, clutching his stomach from the pain, shaking hard with mirth.

Orihime didn't know how, or why, she wasn't even that angry. It felt like the time she threw those plates at Ichigo's head, but this time it was a ball of snow.

"Daddy, watch out!"

The snowball hit victim, but not the right one. Ichigo ducked at the sound of the warning as Tamotsu stumbled backwards and fell right into Hitomi's snowman.

"Tamotsu!"

"Oh, honey!"

"Tammy!" Hitomi shouted; stomping her tiny booted foot. "Tammy! That was mine snowmen! Mines!"

Before Tamotsu could even comprehend getting slammed in the face with a snowball, Hitomi jumped on top of him and hit him with her tiny fists.

Ichigo yanked the wriggling girl off of the boy. He arms still swung around in a blind rage. Ichigo's assertive father voice clicked on- a voice that's been very affective when Hitomi had her random, impulsive outburst. Much like her father. "Hitomi," Ichigo put her back down. "No hitting."

Hitomi stomped her foot again. "But-but-"

Ichigo helped Tamotsu up. "It's just a snowman, we can make one again tomorrow."

Hitomi stomped her foot again but the anger soon dissipated. Ichigo grabbed Hitomi by the collar before she could run off after something that caught the six year old's eye. "Come on. Let's go in, I don't want any of you getting sick."

**...**

Orihime held her hand on her head, letting the nauseating feeling run it's coarse. "Ichigo…"

Ten minutes later, the family was crowded around the kitchen beginning breakfast. Tamotsu was handing dishes to Hitomi who was setting them on the table. Ichigo was taking the ingredients out of the refrigerator and Orihime was hovering over the counter.

"Huh?"

Orihime lifted a plastic pack. "This bacon smells rotten. Smell it."

Ichigo gave her a dubious look and sniffed the bag. "Smells like raw bacon to me." Tamotsu sniffed it too- the boy didn't see anything wrong with it.

Orihime shook her head, making a sour face. "It's bad." She walked over the trashcan and opened the lid. Ichigo tried to stop her but it was in the bottom of the can before he knew it. "Don't throw it out. It's nowhere near the expiration date- Orihime!"

"Ichigo, it is just bacon." She returned to the counter. "If you still want some, I'll go to the market for you."

Hitomi's ears perked upward. "Shopping?" She smiled. She loved going to the store with her mommy. It was always fun to pick and choose what dinner would be. "Groceries?"

Ichigo examined Orihime's face. She looked at tad pit on the paler side. Maybe a chill had gotten to her. He shook his head. "No it's fine." Ichigo walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a long wrapped package and smiled. "We have sausage."

* * *

**Later that night.**

* * *

Orihime taped the wrapping paper down at the sides. She twisted the box over in her arms before pushing it to the side with the rest of finished gifts under the decorated tree.

The woman looked at the pile of wrapped gifts compared to those unwrapped. "God," Orihime huffed. "Parents really do this every year?"

Ichigo nodded, twisting a perfect ribbon on top of confetti colored wrapping. "We wanted kids, remember." He picked up a frosted cookie the kids made, set out for Santa Claus.

Orihime smiled. "How can I forget?"

The duo continued wrapping, tapping, and tying. The woman saw all of the gifts for their children so it made her think. She just had to ask. "Did you get a present for me?"

Ichigo was silent for a moment. He concentrated on folding the top of red wrapping paper against a Barbie box. "Hmm …maybe." He said, his head low. Orihime could just make out his right eyebrow lifting up. "Did you get a present for me?"

The woman blushed. "Maybe…"

"So…" Ichigo put his box to the side. "…Since we aren't sure if one of us got the other a present… why don't we just settle the score right now?"

Orihime met his eye. "What do you mean?"

Ichigo pushed crumbled paper and pieces of rubbish out of his way, a familiar glimmer in his amber eyes. "How about we give each other the best gift of all?"

Orihime put her hands on Ichigo chest before he leaned in for a kiss. "We should finish wrapping the gifts first…"

They both looked over Ichigo's shoulder to see the piles of unwrapped presents. There were still toys to stack, wrap, and assemble. Hitomi's plastic pink vanity needed to be put together and so did Tamotsu's new bike. It was tiring just to look at it.

"Huh." Ichigo considered for a moment and Orihime really though he was going to retreat. "We should, shouldn't we?" Then his hands crept down her backside, over her wide hips and down her rear.

Orihime giggled as his lips pressed against her neck. "…I think it can wait…"

**…**

Orihime traced her finger over the damaged tissue in its disfigured circle.

"Does it still hurt?" she whispered.

The two were lazily sprawled out against the living room floor. A simple knitted afghan covered their flushed, exposed bodies.

"Only when I make you upset." Ichigo mumbled.

Orihime sat up, bringing the blanket with her. "I'm serious."

"I'm serious." He sat up too, crossing his arms together behind his head. "Every time you cry I will know because they start to burn again."

Orihime let her hand travel down to the scar between his ribs.

Her face fell a little at the memory of it all- the hospital, the fire, the worry, the pain… the battles.

"Ouch!" Ichigo cringed and fell back on the carpet, clutching his scars in agony.

Orihime's eyes widened in alarm. "What?!" She watched in horror as her husband wriggled on the ground in pain. "What's wrong?!"

His body stopped moving and Orihime realized he was smirking. Orihime shook her head at his silliness.

A hand grasped a few strands of her burnt-orange hair. "You were upset just then... Don't be." He tugged on the strands, enticing a smile from her. "I hurts me too."

Orihime's smile broadened and so did his'. "I'm not. Not anymore."

Orihime's cheeks turned pink over her flushed skin. "Do you know how I'm feeling now?" It was the face she always made when she wanted him again.

Ichigo licked his lips and stared up at his wife. "Oh, I think I know how you're feeling."

Orihime squealed when he yanked her down to the carpet again.

* * *

**The next morning.**

* * *

"Aahhhh!"

Orihime sat up at the sound of the scream, groaned and laid back down.

The air felt different that morning. It was Christmas morning! This morning only came around once a year.

When Orihime was little, her Christmas wasn't much. A toy with missing parts or hand-me-down clothes from anywhere. Her mother would try some years, sometimes she was never home, drinking and celebrating somewhere else.

It wasn't until Sora took her away when she had a real Christmas. She still remembered her first wrapped present, a fairy tale princess doll. It wasn't a fancy-smanshy shining Barbie, but it was the most beautiful thing she had even seen.

The mother just wanted to give her children everything she never had.

She heard her husband yawn next to her. "They're awake…" Ichigo mumbled.

"Yeah…" Orihime pushed her hair out of her face. "Should we go down there now?"

A drowsy, drawn out groan escaped from him. "No, they'll come up soon enough."

Ichigo was right. Just like every year, and the year before that, in a matter of moments you heard their small feet running up the steps. The couple prayed that the sound would go in the other direction, but their small feet came stomping into their bedroom.

"Daddy, daddy, daddy! Wake up, daddy!" Hitomi crawled onto the bed and bounced on top of his sleeping form.

Tamotsu walked around to Orihime's side of the bed. "Mom," he pushed at her. "Mom, our presents are here."

Orihime looked over at him and smiled. "Really? Did Santa-san come?"

"Santa-san! Santa-san!" Hitomi chanted. "Daddy, Santa-san came! Get up, get up!"

The children were still in their pajamas. Hitomi in her Hello Kitty night dress and Tamotsu in his plain T-shirt and boxers. They just couldn't wait to see what was in store for them.

"Daddy, daddy!"

"Alright, alright! I'm up!" Ichigo turned over in the bed and grabbed Hitomi by the ankles. She squealed as she hit the bed backwards.

"Come on, daddy! We have to go see the presents!" She scrambled off of the bed and ran to the door. "You have to hurry!"

Tamotsu continued to push at her even when she made to get out of the bed. "Come on, mom."

Ichigo sat on the side of the bed and yawned again. Hitomi stomped her foot in irritation from waiting. "Daddy! The pres-ents!" She ran back over and tugged at his arm. It was always a child's constant fear that it he or she left the presents unattended for too long, they would suddenly disappear.

Ichigo finally stood and was pulled out of the room by the small girl. "Hurry, daddy! Hurry!"

Tamotsu waited for his mother to put on her slippers and robe. He smiled at her when she saw him still waiting for her. "Tamotsu, I'll be done in a minute. You can go get your presents now." He walked over and wrapped his arms around her before she could object. "Thank you." He whispered and kissed her cheek. His shaggy dark hair ticked her face. "Tell daddy that I said thanks too."

With that, he ran out of the room to catch up with his father and sister.

**…**

"Look at this! And- and look at what Santa-san got me! Look-look at all of this! Wow!"

Hitomi bounced in place, not knowing where to start. She clutched the roots of her butterscotch hair, overwhelmed with the shiny, glittery wrapping paper. The wonderful smell of magic everywhere, the twinkling lights all bright and amazing on the tree they decorated. Her brain literally blinked on and off with a red sign saying "overload", "overload, "overload".

Ichigo grasped her collar before she tore through every object in the room. "Slow down," Ichigo handed her a box. "Open this one."

Hitomi greedily tore it open and screamed. "Daddy! Daddy! Look at the Barbie! It is Princess Barbie!"

Ichigo glanced over at Tamotsu. He sat on the floor, shaking a box up and down, and smile slowing creeping on his face. "Champ, what about you?"

Tamotsu peeled back the wrapping paper slowly and found a box of paint pellets. The ten year old sat confused.

"Here," Ichigo found another, bigger box with the same wrapping. "Open this box too."

"Hey! Tamotsu gets to open two!" Hitomi complained but found another gift with her name on it and her whining quickly ceased.

Tamotsu's smile soon turned into a giant grin. "It's a paintball gun!"

"Ichigo," Orihime walked down the stairs, concern dripping from her voice. "You know I don't like guns…"

"Well, next year tell Santa-san ahead of time." Ichigo smiled back at Tamotsu "You wanna play against your old man?"

Tamotsu nodded.

After breakfast, Tamotsu checked out his new brain exercise game and Hitomi rode Swimsuit Barbie and Businessman Ken around in their new corvette who lived in their giant Barbie Dream Mansion.

The one with the elevator.

Orihime nudged her husband on the shoulder. Ichigo tore his eyes away from Ralphie sitting on Santa-san's lap in _A Christmas Story._

"Ichigo," Orihime whispered. "I have something to show you."

Ichigo smiled. "I have something to show you too." He grabbed her hand. "Come on."

Upstairs, Ichigo sat Orihime on the bed and took a deep breath. His present wasn't something big, but something he wanted to give to her a while ago but life kept getting in the way.

Orihime watched Ichigo walk into his closet and come back out with an envelope in his hands. "Here," Orihime smiled as he handed it to him. "It isn't much, but… it isn't much."

Orihime tore at the envelope and pulled out two thin papers. "Ichigo…" Orihime slowly smiled as she read the papers. "Are these planes tickets? To… to Hawaii?"

Ichigo rubbed the back of his orange head, a little uneasy. "We never went. And I promised you that we'd go." He stood her up. "We'll go in four weeks. Is this alright with you?"

Orihime nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's wonderful." She said kissing his cheek. "Now, it's my turn!"

Orihime stood in ushered him into the bathroom. She walked in front of him a smiled, waiting.

Ichigo's eyes moved slowly around the bathroom. There were the beige curtains, same tiled floor and forest colored rugs…. It was a great… it was… what was he looking at exactly? "Er…." Ichigo scratched the back of his head, his eyes darting around the room. "Did you… change the towels?" He mustered up his most grateful smile. "They look nice!"

Orihime shook her head, her gray eyes beginning to water and her face was getting red. "It's not the towels, Ichigo." The woman held her face in her hands as she began sobbing.

Ichigo grabbed her trembling shoulder. "Wha- I didn't mean to offend you. Is it the… the shower curtain? I thought they looked new…"

"No," Orihime wiped her face with the sleeve of her robe. "No. Ichigo, look!" Orihime pointed at the sink.

At first, Ichigo's eyes ran right over the white cylinders. He scrambled for anything that look different, anything that looked out of the ordinary in their otherwise average bathroom.

Then two pink dash lines caught his eye… Six lines to be exact.

Orihime held her breath as she watched his eyes slowly trail back.

On the counter sat three pregnancy tests.

Ichigo grip on her shoulders became tighter. Orihime watched his throat contract as he swallowed the damned thick lump. "…Orihime…. Are you…?"

The mother nodded, biting her bottom lip to keep the shouts of joy from spilling out.

His grip became even tighter. "…How?"

"I don't know."

Orihime thought he might squeeze all the blood from her arms but he let go before he could bruise. He swallowed once more though it didn't make his throat any less dry. "…When?"

Orihime waited until he looked back at her but he was still staring at the test. "I think I'm about three weeks or around that… I smelled bacon the other day and I wanted to die."

Orihime didn't know what to think. She didn't know if Ichigo knew what to think. He was just staring at those three tests, like if he looked at them long enough they'll just disappear. Orihime's smile dropped. He wasn't happy… was he?

He finally took a breath. "This present really makes mine look like crap."

Orihime's frown was soon replaced. "Oh, I can't wait to go." She sunk into his arms, happy that his smile and warmth were returning. "It's a lovely gift."

Orihime squeezed his torso, hoping his tense posture would slacken. But it didn't so she decided to ignore it.

"I think we better get back downstairs before Hitomi thinks the monsters are taking you again."

The mother leaned back and could see the father's lips pull up to a smirk.

The mother crinkled her nose. "Please. Don't remind me."

**…**

Hitomi pretended to apply lipstick with the fake, plastic tube. The six year old sat on her the pink stool and grinned into the heart shape mirror of her mini vanity.

The child somehow managed to grab Orihime's purse from off the table in the front room. "Look Tammy!" Hitomi strut across the living room, avoiding the wrapping paper scattered around the floor. She stopped in front of her brother. "I'm mommy!"

"Mm." The boy nodded and his sister bounced away. Tamotsu concentrated on the puzzle he had in front of him. He turned the _Perplexus Twist_ this way and that until the ball made it through the maze, landing on level one hundred. Tamotsu smirked. The maze was way too easy.

Orihime finished cleaning the breakfast dishes from early that morning. Hitomi walked in once in awhile to show one of her parents a gift or two but besides that, the kitchen was relatively quiet.

Ichigo started. "Orihime…"

She didn't turn from the sink. "Yes?"

Ichigo leaned back in his chair. She was going to make this hard for him, was she? The thirty-five year old man groaned silently. She just loved placing him in tight places.

The man stood and wrapped his arms around his wife from behind. He knew she liked it when he did that.

"I'm excited. I'm… elated." Ichigo squeezed. "Orihime, I really am." The man placed a few kisses on her shoulder, hoping to ease her up a little.

"Orihime… It was just- it's just so unexpected. But I'm not any less happy."

Orihime wanted this to be special. It seemed as though they were finally overcoming those obstacles that hindered them of a family those thirteen years ago. Everything was falling into plan. And Orihime just wanted Ichigo to be ready too.

She finally turned around. "I-"

"Really! Oh my- I can't believe it!"

Ichigo and Orihime ran into the living room to find an excited Tamotsu, his eyes bulging with excitement as he loomed over an unwrapped box.

The ten year old smiled up at his parents. "It's exactly what I wanted!"

"What did Santa-san get you?" Orihime walked over to him, craning her neck to read the title.

Tamotsu lifted the wide box. "A telescope! And it wasn't even on my list!" The boy busied himself with opening the cardboard box, lifting the head of a refracting telescope. "So cool."

Orihime and Ichigo stood back and watch Tamotsu gaze at the contraption in fascination. "Nice buy." Orihime whispered.

"What?"

Hitomi stared at the telescope. She didn't know what it was, but it was shiny and white and all pretty like. She wanted to touch it.

Orihime looked up at Ichigo. "It was a nice call, the telescope."

Ichigo blinked, confused. He shook his head. "No… I though you brought it. I just wrapped it and put it under the tree…"

Ichigo found that box outside the door the other day. He figured it was just another present Orihime forgot that she ordered.

"Mom!" Tamotsu lifted a cream envelope. "Look, Santa-san wrote me a letter!"

Hitomi poked out her lip. "Aw! A letter! Let me see!"

Tamotsu read it out loud, but Orihime needed to see the handwriting herself to believe it.

_Look before you leap. You need to see the stars before you can reach them_

_-A_

"Who's 'A'?" Hitomi wrinkled her nose the way her mother did in a confusing situation.

Orihime read the letter over and over again. It didn't take Ichigo long to catch on too.

Hitomi's father patted her fiery hair. "Santa-san of course!"

The six year old's amber eyes widened, even more confused. "But-"

Orihime pressed the letter gently between her hands and smiled down at her daughter. "Maybe Santa-san will send you a letter when you're ten, Hitomi. If you're good!"

It was funny how Orihime found herself ushered back into the kitchen. There she sat down at the kitchen table and closed her tired eyes.

"It's him." She groaned. "It's him all over again…."

Ichigo crossed his arms. He and his wife had been decided, since the day Aizen renounced his visitation rights, they wouldn't tell Tamotsu anything, at least not until he was ready- if and when.

"Why does he do this? Why does he just disappear and sneak by and snatch everything from us again?" Orihime lifted the letter and groaned again. "What does he want?"

"Contact," Ichigo finally said.

Orihime opened her mouth and then closed it. She did this thrice, a sound or two coming out but nothing actually coherent.

Ichigo sat across from her. "Well, wouldn't you want contact too?"

"He had his chance. He stole my choice- Tamotsu's choice and took us to court. But it was all for nothing." Now he comes back, giving him advice? Christmas presents? What was he getting at?

Orihime looked down. He hands were fisted, balled around the letter. She took a deep breath. Being pregnant had always made her more aggressive.

A large, warm hand came over Orihime's. "We all make mistakes, Orihime. Even when we may think they are right at the time."

Orihime didn't know what to make of Ichigo's response. Aizen's inconsistent patterns were confusing and heartbreaking. It was evil to force her to believe all of it was over and done with and then come strutting back with his cream colored messages.

He kept Orihime on her toes. So instead of running, she was approaching, yet Orihime didn't actually believe she was doing it until the woman stood in front of a mailbox one week later.

Again, she found herself crammed between a rock and a hard place.

Inside the envelope that she held in her hands was Tamotsu's most recent school pictures and a few more of Christmas day. Next to it all was a letter was a short letter about Tamotsu and what he's been up to and how much he loved the telescope.

If he wanted contact, why not give it to him?

Pulling the tab down, Orihime slipped the envelope through and let it go.

* * *

**Real life is a… well, you all know the saying. I got home Monday morning, last week, around three o'clock after a long car ride to and from a babyshower I helped to host in another state. I wanted to but I couldn't update in my car due to no internet connection. Thank whoever made my stupid laptop for that one!**

**Speaking of babyshowers, Orihime preggers again! I guess she is like a rabbit… But this is what she always wanted in life. A family.**

**Anyway, now that Aizen is trying to reconnect what do you think will happen? Will Orihime confess or will Tamotsu find out?**

**Feedback, people!**

**Rocka.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer:** We all know I don't own Bleach, so lets get a move on.**  
**

* * *

**Three weeks later.**

* * *

Orihime pushed at her husband's bare shoulder. "Ichigo…" She pushed again and waited for a sound.

His large, limp hand lifted and swatted aimlessly in the air before falling onto a pillow with a "thump".

Orihime sat up caring not for the oversized T-shirt falling at her shoulders. "Ichigo?" She poked and pushed at his shoulder and back again until he stirred.

Ichigo yawned. "Orihime? What is it? What's wrong?"

The woman waited until he caught her eyes. She didn't want him dozing off just yet. "Ichigo, I… had a bad dream."

Her husband sat up. "Oh…" Ichigo scratched the back of his orange head. "Um, tell me about it."

Ichigo's had plenty of experience with bad dreams. Karin and Yuzu would get them all the time, and Hitomi occasionally. There was once when Tamotsu slept in their bed for a night due to nightmares.

"Well…" The woman shifted uneasily on the mattress. "I'm floating down a river. I feel… calm, happy. And then… and then…"

Ichigo watched her chest rise and fall quicker. He touched her hand before she could hyperventilate. "Take your time," he whispered.

Orihime took a deep breath. "Then all I see is red. The water in the river is red and I try to swim out but the water moves faster then I… I can feel a waterfall coming…."

Ichigo heard a small intake of breath.

"And I fall."

Orihime always felt that her dreams represented something. Even if it was something from the past, present, or future, dreams- dreams that felt so _real_ like this one- they always meant something.

"Isn't this one of your weird pregnancy dreams? You got them all the time with Tamotsu. Those didn't mean anything."

Orihime took a moment. She was only five weeks along, maybe it was the baby altering her dreams somehow.

She grinned. "You're right. It doesn't mean anything."

Orihime felt her husband's arms move around her, pulling her closer. "Come here," he whispered and tucked her head under his chin. "Close your eyes." She closed them. "Are they closed?"

"Yes!" she giggled.

They sat in the quiet together for awhile, just laying there. Orihime really didn't want to go back to sleep, she was afraid of that river. Ichigo squeezed her arm, gathering her attention. "I want you to think of the warm, rolling, crystal clear waves, a lowering sunset. I want you to think about Hawaii, okay. You. Me. And our little Kurosaki."

Hawaii in one more week. Orihime had been looking forward to it all month. They had never been and she always wanted to go. Lying on Ichigo's chest, Orihime could his rhythmic heart beat, a constant reassurance to any of her problems.

"Yeah," she slurred tiredly after letting a yawn. His warmth and the gentle rapping of his heart was enough to lure her to sleep for now. All she could imagine was what he said. The rolling waves, the sunset, him, her, and their "oops".

Orihime blinked once more before allowing her eyes to shut. "I can't wait…"

**…**

Orihime turned to her side and lifted her shirt.

It was there. It was really there. Just a tiny bump.

From what Yoruichi could tell, their little Kurosaki was just developing his ears, nose, and mouth. Small now, but it'll get bigger and bigger.

"Hi." Orihime whispered. Her heart raced yet the little one's raced twice as fast as hers.

"Now, you're just a tiny sea monkey. But later, you'll be mine."

Her stomach grumbled. Orihime giggled. It was her little Kurosaki's only mean of communication for the time being.

The woman walked downstairs to the kitchen where the house was already on the move. Ichigo was making his daily cup of coffee, Tamotsu was doing his homework at the kitchen table and Hitomi was rocking her baby doll as she walked around the island.

"Orihime, remind me to call my dad…"

"Mom, we have to get my physical form filled. I'm trying for baseball again..."

"Look mommy! I'm just like you!"

Orihime smiled tiredly. "Mmhmm…"

"Mom…" Tamotsu came over to her once she reached the counter. "Mom, I'm doing baseball and I need to get the re-insertion form filled." Tamotsu watched his mother pull out a few items from the refrigerator.

"My coach says that if I keep playing, I can make the team in middle school, then I'll be in varsity in high school, then I'll be in the big leagues with the professionals!"

Orihime nodded, listening to her son but mainly concentrating on the concoction in front of her.

"And- and he also said that…" Tamotsu stopped and sniffed the air. He looked over the counter to see his mother spreading what seemed like mustard over a bagel. "…Mom, what is that?"

Orihime poured a dark liquid over the bagel. "Ever wondered what mustard and soy sauce on a toasted bagel taste like?"

Tamotsu shook his head and pulled a face when the two halves were smashed together.

Orihime lifted the sandwich to her son. "Wanna try?"

Tamotsu watched in horror as his mother took a bite. "Mom! Gross!"

Orihime guessed it was weird- to everyone else maybe. Her cravings were always weird and always gotten weirder when she was pregnant.

She sat down at the table and flipped through Tamotsu's physical form, making a mental note to schedule a doctor's appointment.

Hitomi climbed onto a chair and placed her baby doll on the table. She unhooked the tabs on the cloth diaper and replaced it with a different one. "Mommy, I changed the baby!"

Orihime knew Hitomi was full of wonders, but she wasn't prepared for the child's interest in babies. The parents thought it would have been hard breaking the news to their children, Tamotsu was happy of course. He cared as much as a ten year old should care- little to none. Hitomi on the other hand was gung ho! She wanted to talk to the baby, dress it up and play with just like with her baby cousins, Masao and Masaru.

It was only natural for Orihime to buy her a Hugme-Loveme-Always Babydoll that the little girl saw on television. The mother had to divert the attention from her belly. The child switch completely from oblivious six year old to mother-in-training.

It was quite amusing.

"Good job!" Orihime managed between bites of her sandwich.

Ichigo glanced at the clock. "You guys ready? Let's get a move on!"

Tamotsu grabbed his book bag and homework and Hitomi hopped off the kitchen chair, leaving the baby doll on the table. Well… she is a mother-in-_training_.

"Have a nice day." Ichigo reminded before kissing her forehead. Then he patted her tummy before walking out of the kitchen.

* * *

**One week later.**

* * *

It was the same pattern.

Cool, crisp water. Soft, comforting breeze.

Orihime traveled slowly down the stream. Her eyes were closed and she smiled as she felt the sun's warmth envelope her body from head to toe.

Her eyes opened.

It was beautiful here. Everything moved in time and perfect harmony. The trees were high and majestic; every creature knew its purpose. The birds fluttered through the air, singing their songs and the butterflies flutter aimlessly, oblivious of their beauty.

Orihime wasn't sure if she belonged here, but the water carried her anyway. It carried her until it wasn't water anymore.

It was gradual. Creeping like a serpent.

The cool water became warm and sticky. It was an unusual sensation so Orihime would open her eyes again. Her heart would drop and everything would go into a panic.

She would try to swim to the edge, to leave the pool of blood but it was everywhere. Orihime heard the rumbling of liquid hitting hard, jagged rocks.

Orihime pushed against the currents. She could hear it all. The last thing she wanted to hear was the smack of bones against rocks.

Orihime felt her body moving backwards, falling. Everything seemed to move slower then before, the water, the birds, the butterflies. Everything seemed to go pale, hunch over and watch her fall, watch the fear in her eyes as she dropped.

There was the smallest pain, the smallest sharp ache in her belly and everything went black.

"No!" Orihime jumped up in her bed.

It was the same dream every time. Orihime didn't want to think about what it meant for her, or for her baby.

The woman touched her stomach. It was still there, she could fell it. A heavy weight lifted off her shoulders and she sighed.

Ichigo lay beside her, sleeping soundlessly. Orihime moved over and wrapped her arms around her torso, moving against him.

Ichigo's head popped up at the intrusion. "Huh?" Ichigo looked down to see his wife cuddling against him. He laid back down without another word.

**…**

The bell rung and everyone filed out of their classes, happy the week was over.

Tamotsu exchange a secret handshake with his friend Hiro before walking in the other direction. The boy returned to his cubby and pulled out his bookbag. "Hey." A voice said behind him.

Tamotsu looked over his shoulder and met a pair of turquoise eyes. "Hi."

Misoka pulled out her bookbag which was a few cubbies away from his'. "…Good luck in the baseball tryouts."

Tamotsu nodded, shoving a folder in the top compartment. "Yeah." He turned on his heels and walked away. But stopped. He and Misoka hardly talked anymore. He didn't know why, it just happened that way. She was… she was a _girl_. Why would he hang out with girls if he had Isamu and Hiro to play with?

"Misoka?"

"Hmm?"

Far off, another girl watched the two exchange once more. Hana didn't know why yet, but she hated it when Misoka talked to Tamotsu. Only she liked talking to Tamotsu and no one else. _Especially_ Misoka.

Tamotsu shifted his bag to the other shoulder. "Do you want to come over some time…? We can check out my telescope I got for Christmas."

Hana scowled.

Misoka's face lit up. "That sounds really good!"

The duo stared at each other for a few seconds before Tamotsu pointed at the door. "I have to go…"

Misoka grinned, her turquoise eyes sparkling. "Oh, of course!"

"Okay," Tamotsu grinned as he walked out the door. "Bye."

Misoka waved a little, oblivious to the pair of seething eyes among them. "See ya."

* * *

**Later that day.**

* * *

"Ichigo…" Orihime held her hips. She stood over her luggage. "Ichigo… I'm not feeling too good."

All day her stomach had been churning in the wrong way. Orihime figured it was because she ate too many toast soy sauce mustard bagel sandwiches. Either way, it didn't feel good.

Ichigo walked out from his closet. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know…" Orihime sat on the edge of the bed. "Maybe I'm just nervous?"

They were leaving for Hawaii early in the morning. They were dropping the children off at Isshin's first and then they'd be off on a plane to the big island.

Ichigo rubbed her shoulder, relaxing her muscles. "Probably." He sat down on the bed with her. "We need to get some rest." He kissed her a few times before zipping up his suitcase.

"It's an early start tomorrow!"

**…**

Orihime could still feel the water slipping through her fingers. The drops would soon slide down her palms a deep red.

Her lids stayed closed through she was awake.

It was different this time.

It felt differently, the ending that is.

It actually _hurt_.

But Orihime has felt this pain before.

That sticky liquid sliding between her thighs….

It was the unmistakable pain, a hurt that only another woman who's been through the same trial would recognize.

Orihime wiped away the tear creeping down the side of her face.

**…**

Ichigo grunted, turning over in the bed. His rest was being disturbed.

"..Orihime..."

Ichigo's hand encountered something wet. His hand curled around the sheet. It was damp.

Ichigo lifted a heavy head in alarm. "Orihime?"

That when he heard it, her tiny sobs.

Ichigo sat up and turned on his bedside lamp.

Orihime's knees were tucked under her chin, her eyes were closed and red faintly covered her hands and the area of the sheet near her.

"….Didn't make it…" she mumbled.

Ichigo immediately stood, grabbed his phone and dialed 911. But there was no need. What's done could not be undone.

"Ichigo…" The man looked back at his wife. "The baby… didn't make it…"

…

Hitomi heard the beeping sounds all around her. She hugged her baby doll tighter. It was scary in here. Everyone was quiet, no one was smiling…. She didn't like it.

Hitomi watched her father nod at a man in a white coat. Daddy doesn't look happy… she thought.

The child watched the man in the white coat leave. Her daddy stood there for a moment before walking over to the little girl and her brother.

Ichigo sat down next to his kids.

There was more beeping and soft shuffling. It was an odd melody. The child would have gone to sleep if it wasn't for the eerie feeling creeping in her stomach. Something was wrong. Where was her mommy?

"…Kids…" Ichigo started.

"What's wrong?" Hitomi demanded. "Is mommy sick?"

Tamotsu wanted to know as well. He's seen the inside of an hospital plenty of times… never had the outcome been good.

"She's-" Ichigo rubbed his hands over his tired face. "She's not feeling well."

Hitomi's face scrunched up. "Why?"

Ichigo took a deep breath. They were part of the family too. They needed answers too. "…Because of the baby."

Hitomi hugged her baby doll tighter. "Is the baby making mommy sick?" she demanded.

Ichigo looked at his children. Hitomi looked confused and hurt. But Tamotsu, Tamotsu knew. Ichigo could see it on his calm face. Under it all, the boy was hurting too.

The man held the back of his daughters head and squeezed his son's shoulder. "Kids…. The baby isn't here anymore."

Hitomi blinked. The baby wasn't here anymore? "Where did the baby go?" She slid off the chair and stood. "Can we find it?" Hitomi got to work. She glanced under the chair and in her pocket but Ichigo stopped her with a grab of her arm. He pulled her onto his lap.

"Remember when I told you mommy's body was like a garden." Hitomi nodded and so did Tamotsu. "Well sometimes, when you plant the seed, not every seed grows up completely."

"Can we see her?"

Ichigo looked at his son. He was leaning forward, brown eyes wide open. "Can we see mommy?"

The family filed into the hall and turned a few corners until they came to a door. Tamotsu pushed it open and saw his mother sitting on the end of the hospital bed.

Hitomi burst in tears. "Mommy!" She ran to her and clutched her leg the way any child did when they wanted a parent. "Mommy… mommy!"

Even Tamotsu walked over and wrapped his arms around his mother.

"Mommy…" Hitomi sniffled and lifted her baby doll. "Here. Here we have this baby, mommy. This baby until we find the other one…"

Orihime took the toy into her hands.

Ichigo watched as she hugged it to her chest, but it wasn't the same. It wasn't real. It wasn't hers.

Orihime closed her eyes and let the tears fall.

* * *

**A few days later.**

* * *

The bed was empty next to him, but he knew where she was. Ichigo walked down the steps and into the kitchen where Orihime was on the floor, moving vigorously.

"Orihime," Ichigo yawned. "What time is it?"

"This floor was… filthy." She dipped her scrubber back into the hot, soapy water. "I can't believe I've neglected it for this long…"

"Orihime-"

Orihime stood and wiped her wet hands on the cloth around her waist. "And this counter. I found this tiny smudge. I don't know what it is." Orihime took a wash cloth and rubbed at the counter. "It won't get off."

"Orihime-"

"This smudge…." She shook her head. "It won't go away."

Ichigo walked over to his wife and wrapped his arms around her. Orihime sighed heavily. "Ichigo…. It won't go away."

Ichigo let her slump into his arms. Through it all, Orihime had been strong, stronger then Ichigo would ever have thought. She cried only when she thought no one was looking, and put on a brave face for the children.

Ichigo walked Orihime back up the steps and opened the bedroom door for her. "Is mommy okay?"

Ichigo's amber eyes gazed over his shoulder at his two children. They were in their pajamas, staring curiously at their parents.

Ichigo turned around. "Go back to sleep."

The children obeyed and returned back to their beds but couldn't find the power in them to sleep. The house was different since their mother came back from the hospital. The house was… odd, it wasn't a home anymore but a hollow vessel which four people were dropped into. Detached and separate.

"Tammy…"

Tamotsu turned over in his bed and encountered the wide, chubby face of his little sister.

"Yes?"

Hitomi blinked. "I can't sleep."

Tamotsu rolled his eyes and lifted his covers. "Fine." Hitomi crawled in and hugged Tamotsu's old friend, Kon. In Tamotsu's eyes, Kon was exclusive, no one could touch him and he slept with him every night. But tonight, Hitomi could have him. She needed him the most.

The house was quiet again. The way it had been recently.

"Tammy, mommy will get better, right?" Hitomi shifted closer to her brother. "Right?"

Tamotsu closed his eyes. For the past days, his mother wasn't the same. She didn't have the same personality, the same bubbliness. She was lifeless.

"Yes, she will." Tamotsu assured his little sister. He heard her sigh of relief.

"…She has to."

* * *

**One week later.**

* * *

"Yuzu, I'm glad I could catch you." Ichigo gave his sister a smile. "I know you're really busy."

The duo sat outside on a bench next to the hospital building where Yuzu worked.

"Onii-chan!" Yuzu grinned and popped an M&M in her mouth. "I will always make time for you."

Ichigo allowed her to take his hand and pour a few of the colorful candies into his palm. "How are the kids?"

Yuzu had identical twins last year, two boys. Masao and Masaru. She and her husband, Shin, were always coming over with the boys, Orihime and Yuzu would go crazy dressing the one year olds up in wacky outfits. Hitomi tagged along too.

"They're great! Shin is good too." Yuzu picked up her sandwich and took a bite. "I talked to Karin yesterday and she and Yuto are talking about settling, but nothing too serious."

Yuzu lifted the half of her sandwich to Ichigo but he shook his head. That's Yuzu, always worrying about others before herself. No wonder she became a nurse.

Ichigo leaned back on the bench, making small talk with his little sister. It was a nice day out. Cold from the January weather, but nothing a jacket couldn't handle. It was nice to get out of the house. It was too quiet to the point where it was loud, the loud, buzzing quiet that pushed on every side of every object of everything.

"You know Orihime had another..."

"Spontaneous abortion."

Ichigo flinched and Yuzu apologized. Her training kicked in and the vocabulary spilled from her lips before she could correct the harsh words.

Yuzu thought for a moment. …Miscarriage… failure…? "…Loss." Yuzu decided on. "She had another loss."

Yuzu couldn't imagine what it would feel like to lose her boys. Masao and Masaru meant the world to her.

"But now she's just isn't the same. She sleeps in all day and mumbles a lot. And when she's not sleeping, she's cleaning everything, like it's an obsession." Her older brother sighed. "I feel like its more then just depression."

"You're right."

Ichigo looked at his sister. She was looking at him as if he was an uninformed patient looking for answers, and yet, he was.

"I believe its postpartum depression."

"I though that only happens to women who actually had the baby." Ichigo remembered that from somewhere. He couldn't exactly put his finger on the definition, but he had definitely read about it online when he was trying to find solutions.

Her brown brows knitted together. "Miscarriages cause depression too." She remembered studying this one night. Was it odd that she though about Orihime then too? "It's different, but not way off. In the books, we place them in the same category."

"Christ-" Ichigo jammed his hands through his hair, frustrated. "Is there anything we can do? Anything I can give her?"

Yuzu's brown eyes widened. "Before you can even think about anti-depressants, onii-chan, think about your Orihime not as a woman but as your wife." Yuzu heard him draw a quick, sharp breath.

"Onii-chan… You need to be there for her this time."

Damn, he would never live it down. Yes he's wronged Orihime, but did it need to be brought up, honestly? He loved his wife, he would never leave, and he would never hurt her intentionally. That was all said and done. Ichigo no longer need reminders. Even with Rukia back on the scene, he wasn't going to indulge. He wasn't going to give in. He wasn't going to resist. In fact, there was no need for resistance; he didn't love that woman, not in that way. He never loved her in that way. He just needed comfort when it should have been Orihime, not Rukia.

"Onii-chan..." Yuzu whispered bringing him out of his reverie. "…I don't want you running off with someone else again-"

Ichigo groaned. "Yuzu-"

"-And nearly ruining this family's honor and reputation because you failed to realize that she needs you."

The duo sat quietly on the bench. A cool breeze brush both of them, it pushed the loose strands of hair from Yuzu's face creating a unmistakable resemblance to their mother, Masaki.

"That's all she needs." Yuzu whispered again.

"You can't neglect her… not… not again."

* * *

**Later that night.**

* * *

_Orihime sat completely still. She knew she was dreaming again._

_It was always quiet here. Nothing moved or had color. Everything sat limp and wilting. The clouds hung low, the flowers, the hills, and so did the trees, bending, bowing down in shame._

_She was all alone in her shame._

I don't know what I would of done if I took away another innocent life.

_Orihime closed her eyes. All she could imagine was the day she sat over her husband and announced her second pregnancy._

I couldn't, I would not be able to live with myself…

_It meant so much. It meant that the UI was wrong. It meant that their bodies were compatible. But it wasn't Ichigo… It was Orihime. It was Orihime who was causing the problems all along. _

_Orihime let her head fall in her hands making the tears from her eyes slip down her cheeks faster._

_Her body just wasn't strong enough…._

Snap!

_The woman's head snapped up. "Who's there!?"_

_Orihime knew this was a dream, a vivid one at that. She didn't know what was lurking around corners._

_Orihime craned her neck and saw a tiny, untied shoe stuck out from behind a bowing tree. Tiny hands where wrapped around the sides of the tree truck and large gray eyes peeked out from behind short brown hair._

_Orihime wiped at her wet face and mustered up a soft voice. "You can come out, I won't hurt you."_

_The head dipped back and came out again._

_Orihime hoped she didn't frighten the child. She stood and walked over to the tree. "I promise I won't hurt you…"_

_The head came back, slowly, and the rest of its body followed._

_Why, it was just a child! Orihime lowered herself to the pale green ground. Everything in this world was pale. Nothing was lively anymore- much like herself._

_Orihime lifted her hand out and waited. The child took its time walking over and grabbing it._

"_Are you alone?" The woman asked the child. "Where are your parents?"_

_The child held its head down and didn't respond._

"_Are they here?"_

_The child gave a nod and looked up at the nice lady. Orihime didn't know what to make of the child. It stared back at her with its wide gray eyes, innocent to say the least._

"_What's your name…?"_

_The child shrugged. Orihime was at a lost on its gender. It looked like little boy or a girl with short hair. Three years old give or take._

_Orihime tapped her bottom lip. "Hmm… We'll call you Chīsana ichi." The child squealed in delight. "Do you know what that means?"_

_It shook its head._

"_Little one."_

_Chīsana ichi grinned at the name._

_Orihime smiled back and stood. "Come on, let's go find those parents."_

**…**

"Kurosaki."

Ichigo slowly looked up. When did Uryū and Kenta get in here?

"We can't prolong Gotei Industries any longer." Ishida started. "This project deserves much attention and we can't afford to let this deal slip through our fingers…"

Ichigo watched his friend go through all the points, all the tick marks, yet the man watched the shadow. The strapping young man standing beside his friend. "Kenta?"

Kenta cleared his throat. "Yes, jōshi!"

"I want you to take on this project."

Ishida sputtered. "Kurosaki!"

"Jōshi!"

"Kurosaki," Ishida said quickly, regaining his composure. "He's just an amateur. He's not ready to deal with a task of this caliber."

"I know what Kenta's capable of." Ichigo leaned back in his chair. "He's a man with ambitions. And if he doesn't get his chance now, then when, who?"

Uryū almost growled. "Ichigo. We can not place an investment such as the Kuchikis in the hands of a boy!"

Ichigo closed his eyes and breathed. "We can't. But I can." Ishida growled this time but Ichigo ignored it. "Kenta, I trust you."

Kenta bowed. "Thank you. Jōshi!"

Ichigo frowned . "Just don't fuck up, or you'll be very sorry."

Kenta paled and his eyes widened the size of a fish's. "Yes, jōshi."

Ichigo nodded to the door and Kenta strolled out, more confident then when he walked in.

Ichigo returned to the papers on his desk and crossed out a few notes. It was a few minutes before he spoke but Ichigo didn't forget his friend was there.

"Kurosaki, what has gotten in to you?"

"Like you said," Ichigo spoke without lifting his head from the papers. "We can't afford to let this slip through our fingers. This business will profit from it greatly."

Ishida soaked it in for a moment then shook his head. "I understand why you did what you did just now, and I know what happen to Orihime…. But you can't let your personal problems jeopardize what we built."

Uryū cared for his friend, he did. If they needed to talk, Ishida was always there, but the man absolutely hated it when Ichigo let his emotions blur his judgment. Being a CEO was hard, being a husband was hard and a father harder then that. But it was bed business if the jobs blended together.

"I assure you, it won't."

Ichigo knew what he was doing. He wasn't running away. This wasn't inaction but pro-action. "Kenta would get some experience and prove he is an asset to the company while simultaneously, Ishida wouldn't have to deal with tabloids wondering if this deal is an affair re-upped."

Uryū adjusted his glasses. "Fine." He turned to the door. "I trust you."

Ichigo continued reading the report and crossed out another line. "That's all I ask."

The door closed behind his friend and it was quiet again. Normally the phone was ringing, there were meetings to go to, and appearances to make… but Ichigo postponed them all or sent another in his place. He just needed to think. He thought until he finally came to a decision.

Ichigo pressed a button on his phone. "Yadomaru-san."

"Yes, Kurosaki-san?" her voice waved back.

"I need you to make me an appointment…."

**…**

Orihime closed her eyes. She was tired all the time, but she always waited until the day ended to visit her Chīsana ichi.

_Orihime looked around the forest around her. It was just as gray and damp as the rest of the world around her, something she's become accustomed to. "What is this place?"_

_Chīsana ichi pointed straight and tugged on Orihime's hand._

_The duo continued walking. Orihime felt a weird sensation, warmth._

"_Chīsana ichi…"_

_The duo came to a clearing, and in the clearing was a single white door. It didn't belong in such a dingy, broken world. It was fresh and clean, not the type of clean when Orihime scrubbed the house from top to bottom everyday, but a different clean. A pure clean._

_Orihime looked down at the child. "Are you parents through there?"_

_The kid grasped her hand harder._

_Orihime stared at the door and stood still. Tamotsu used to hold her like that when he was scared, and so did Hitomi._

_Orihime got down the Chīsana ichi's level and looked at the child- really looked at the child._

_She saw herself._

_Her eyes, her nose, her mouth. This child was her's. "You're mine… aren't you."_

_The child bowed its head._

_Orihime covered her mouth to keep the cry from escaping. She shook her head. "I never gave you a name so you didn't know it…" Her voice trembled so she took a deep breath. "You don't have a specific gender… You didn't know who I was because I never met you…"_

_The child touched her cheek and Orihime kissed it._

"_It's all my fault…"she rasped._

_Orihime picked up the child and it wrapped its legs around her torso. "Baby… What happens if we go through that door?"_

_The child dug its face in her chest and clutched her shirt tightly._

_Orihime touched the doorknob. It burned cold. She squeezed the child tighter as she opened the door and walked through. On the other side, Chīsana ichi was gone, no longer in her arms… Orihime broke down in tears._

* * *

**A few days later.**

* * *

The female opened her office door and grinned down at the sitting patient. "Kurosaki Ichigo, hello. I am Arisu Iwamoto."

Mr. Kurosaki stood and shook her hand.

Arisu walked around her desk and switch on her computer. "How are you feeling today?"

The man lowered himself back into his chair. "Fine."

His filed pulled up and clicked the first textbox.

"Have you taken any aspirin or ibuprofen recently?" Arisu asked. "It's just that we want it all out of your system before the actual procedure."

Mr. Kurosaki shook his head.

"Now," The older, silver haired woman faced the patient. "I'll give you a quick examine today, but first, let's talk." She folded her hands. "There are no real risks to a "sterilization", no one has ever died from my knowledge, or at least, from my hands. You will be awake during the procedure; you'll receive a local anesthetic which will numb the pain but not the sensation. Don't get too excited if you feel some tugging or pulling."

Normally Iwamoto made jokes to lighten the mood on suck a dark subject, especially since she was a female working in a field meant for men. But Kurosaki just kept a straight face.

The urologist cleared her throat. "Then the incision will be made, I'll cauterize the ends of the snipped vas deferens and you'll be on your merry way."

"And afterwards?"

Iwamoto waved her hand carelessly. "You will feel some soreness but it'll last for a day or two. Nothing too painful."

His orange eyebrows came together and he nodded. "I understand."

Iwamoto continued. "The bruising on the other hand will last about a week or two, depending. If it begins irritating you or swelling, use an ice pack and if it persists longer or if bleeding begins, contact my office."

"Anything I can do to take the edge off?"

Dr. Iwamoto considered. Many men wanted to know the ins and outs after their "snip". Though recovery didn't require much effort.

"I'll give you a set of basic instruction for the following day's maintenance. Get lots of rest. Wear tight underwear to help support your scrotum and try to refrain from sex if you're still feeling the 'edge'."

"That won't be a problem," Ichigo wanted to say but he took a deep breath instead.

Iwamoto turned back to her computer and typed in more information before printing the report. "Kurosaki..."

Her patient glanced up. Arisu stared back. She's been in the business long enough to know when someone really didn't want to do this with a look in their eyes. But with Kurosaki, in his eyes emitted determination and regret. Regret fro what was to come or for a past deed?

The doctor exhaled and folded her hands again. "I ask all my patients this before it's all set in stone: are you _sure_ you want to go through with this?"

Arisu watched his knitted brows lift in surprise. "Isn't that putting you out of business?"

The older woman finally saw a flicker of amusement come from him in a quick smirk. Arisu shook her head, serious.

"My business is giving people what they want to live a healthier, happier life. If this is what you believe will give you and your wife a happy life, then we will proceed. If you have any doubts, speak them now."

It came down to this question, Ichigo knew this. It was always something he thought about once in a while, but never actually considered until… until _it_ happened again. He talked to his family and his friends, gathering any and ever piece of advice, considering every option.

But this, this seemed to him the only way to insure his wife's safety and his sanity.

"Yes." Ichigo sat up straighter. "I want to go through with this procedure."

* * *

**Do you think this vasectomy is a good idea on Ichigo's part? Especially doing without Orihime's permission? How do you think it will all play out. And, how do you guys feel about this story so far. Please tell me!  
**

**See you next Sunday!**

**Rocka.**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: **Oops, it's Monday! I overslept, sorry! But it's all good, you're all here now! Yeah!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach, all rights go to Kubo.

* * *

The woman stared up at her ceiling.

She had no sense of time. The hours and days were no longer concrete but muddled and distorted. Was it Tuesday? Thursday? The woman would be the last to know.

And when she dreamed, it was dark. There wasn't a sky or a ground. There wasn't a sound. There wasn't loud or quiet, but just her, dwindling and diminishing into the nothingness surrounding her.

**…**

Ichigo chucked his pencil across the room. He held his neck a squeezed the tension there. He was getting nowhere with his work. For the past two days, Yuzu's words had been going around and around in his mind.

It made him contemplate if his operation was the right thing to do. If… if a vasectomy was the right decision.

"_Onii-chan… You need to be there for her this time."_

Ichigo rubbed his hands through his hair, grabbing and tugging on orange wads. "I know…"

"_You can't neglect her… not… not again."_

But wasn't space the best thing to give in a time like this? Wasn't it a time to mourn? A time to think and rebuild oneself?

Ichigo took a deep breath and pushed himself away from his desk. The man trudged up the basement stairs and up to the second floor.

The man crept open his bedroom door.

A body sat still under the covers. Even when he climbed on the bed with her, she still didn't move. Even when he wrapped his arms around her, she lay motionless.

If they were to rebuild, they'd do it together.

Ichigo found her hand, cold from the lack of movement, and interlinked their fingers.

If they need to mourn, they'd do that together too.

But this… this dejection. It was unacceptable. His wife condition was unbearable. Even for him to watch as she deteriorated from the inside out was painful.

But he did this. It was his doing. His responsibility. And he had to make it right.

**…**

Ichigo finished adding rice to three plates before juggling them to the kitchen table. He called out to his children and in a matter of seconds, the little boy and girl sat in their respective chairs, waiting to be served.

Hitomi sat her Barbie and Ken on the table with her. She was recently playing a game with the dolls in the Dream Mansion. Hitomi wanted a Dream Mansion when she grew up and her own Dream Ken. Just like her mommy and daddy. The child picked at her rice, her mind bouncing from one subject to the next. "…Daddy?"

Ichigo chewed on his teriyaki and swallowed before answering. "Yes?"

"We, um, we made cards for Mrs. Tochigitoday. We made the cards be-because she is sick."

"Mhmm."

Hitomi stabbed her fork through the sliced pork chop. "…I want to make cards for mommy because she's sick."

Ichigo stopped chewing. Of course the children had notice Orihime's behavior. But it was never actually spoken about. Not out loud at least.

"Daddy…" Hitomi piled her rice over the pork chops and looked up at her father. "The cards…?"

"Oh, mhmm. That sounds like a great idea, Hitomi." He turned to his son who was eating quietly. "What do you think?"

Tamotsu glanced up. "Sounds good."

Ichigo knew this was hard for the both of them, seeing their mother like that.

"Dad," Tamotsu started and grinned. "I made the team."

Tamotsu was always practicing catching with his dad outside, but it was different out on that field. He tried his hardest during the tryouts. The first day everyone had to practice their throwing and catching. The next day it was batting, which was very scary, put Tamotsu guess he pulled through!

Seeing his name on that list outside of coach Aikawa's door made him the happiest boy alive.

"Our first game is next Thursday."

Ichigo smiled back. "That's my champ." Ichigo was glad Tamotsu had something to preoccupy his time with.

"Is mommy eating with us?"

Ichigo looked back at his daughter. She had managed to pile all of her rice on top of the pork chops, in a giant white mound and scooped the top off and into her mouth.

Orihime hardly ate anything, if anything at all. When Ichigo brought food to her the first few nights, it would sit there on her night stand all day, and Orihime would just stare, like she was punishing herself. It was the hardest to watch of all.

The father shook his head. "Not tonight honey."

Ichigo was stringing them along on hope. He knew his wife couldn't stay like this forever, she had to get better, and she had to realize that it isn't all bad.

And even if she did, would she be the same? Would she be the same bubbly, spirited, guileless woman he met in college?

Ichigo missed her smile, the color in her face, and her laugh most of all. Now she was just… not the same.

Hitomi waited until her father spoke again. The child shoveled another forkful of rice in her mouth. Food always tasted better when it looked better. Presentation was key.

"Maybe if you ask, she'll eat with us tomorrow." Hitomi watched her father's face fall further then it had in the past days. "…But right now she just needs some rest."

* * *

**A few days later.**

* * *

It was easier to sleep. It was easier to slip in and out of consciousness and her thoughts. But sometimes… sometimes she was locked in the world with no real color or light. It was no longer pale trees and dim skies, but nothingness. There was nothing and her.

It was those dreams that would haunt her. Trickling laughter would fade and grow all around her. She knew they were the laughs of Chīsana ichi. She missed her little one so bad.

It was those dreams that killed her inside. The dreams wouldn't let her leave until they wanted her to leave. It was impossible to wake her up.

It was those dreams that could span for seconds to hours. She would sleep for minutes of sometimes a whole day. She was never hungry yet never full. She was a dry husk, needing nothing yet everything.

"I should have never gone through that door…" Orihime whispered. She waked, but not on her own account. "I'm so sorry baby."

Orihime gripped her sheets tights.

"…I'm sorry that I didn't give you a chance." Orihime turned over in the bed. The pit of her stomach seemed to clench with each word. Her insides twisted at the apology. "…It's all my fault… I hope you forgive me…"

Shrill and high, the laughter started low, far away. And it grew, gradually.

It was so distant, at first; Orihime didn't know what it was. It seemed to be a constant ring in her ear. But it echoed through out her body and continued rising.

Orihime lifted her head. It came from the right. Then the left.

Just like in her dreams, it taunted and haunted. It was an unknown memory, a never realized recollection.

But… she wasn't dreaming.

Orihime pushed the covers off of her. "_Chīsana ichi?" Her head twisted in every direction, every way the laughter rung. She only saw a haze, a glassy reflection of what could have been. A ghost, maybe? No. That would be too histrionic. But there was definitely something there._

_"__Chīsana ichi…?" Orihime called again._

_The apparition jumped from one side of the room to the next until it appeared by the bedroom door._

It smiled.

Orihime stumbled out of bed. She hadn't known her legs so weak after days of lying about. _"Chīsana ichi?" Orihime said and it giggled again and disappeared._

Orihime staggered to the door and called for little one again. The giggled sounded and Orihime walked out into the hallway.

It was warmer out there. Though she lay with the blanket wound tightly around her, it was forever cold in that bed. It made her muscles stiff and her mind null, enough so to send her asleep, or leave her thinking and spiraling into shame.

"Aah!"

Orihime turned her head left.

_Chīsana ichi stood at the bottom of the steps. Their gray eyes glistened and light brown hair flowed in an invisible wind. Chīsana ichi held their hands out, inviting her down the steps._

_Orihime took a deep breath. She took her time walking, lifting and lowering each leg slowly as too not frighten the apparition._

"What's that one?"

Orihime stopped. Ichigo's voice asked someone a question. _Chīsana ichi still waited at the bottom so Orihime continued on her way._

"That's the flowers, and the sky, and our house!" There was a rustling. "Tammy's is wow!"

Orihime took another step. She could see them but they couldn't see her. They were all sitting on the floor, writing on something. All three of them, Ichigo, Hitomi, and Tamotsu.

Tamotsu leaned back and grinned his wide, familiar grin. "I finished mine."

Orihime took another step.

"Yeah we should hang these up-"

Hitomi jumped to her feet and pointed at the stairs. "Mommy!"

Orihime came all the way into the light, and when she did, Chīsana ichi vanished.

Orihime's jaw lowered. She had to get it back, she had too. _Chīsana ichi couldn't leave… not just yet._

_…__._The apparition faded but she was still here. She was still living. There was more rustling coming from the living room so she walked all the way down the steps. "…What are you doing?"

Tamotsu ushered her to a couch and got into position.

All three of them stood in a line with their backs turned. Ichigo, Hitomi, and them Tamotsu, all of them with papers in their hands from what Orihime could see.

Hitomu twirled around first, holding a giant colorful paper in front of her. It looked like their home.

"Mommy!" She shouted and turned over another page which had a drawing of her on the front. "Beautiful!" Then another. "Pretty!" Then another. "Smile!"

It was Tamotsu's turn next. He held up a wonderful drawing of a woman holding a newborn. "Mother." He said. "Nurturer. Forgiver. Protector."

Ichigo was last, turning around and holding up a single paper with words written on every corner, every space. Orihime couldn't read them because her eyes were filling with tears.

"Wife. Lover. My rock." Ichigo flipped the page and it was blank. "Best friend."

Hitomi threw her papers into the air. "We love you mommy!" The girl hoped to the couch and wrapped her arms around her mother. Tamotsu came over and did the same.

Ichigo walked over to the huddle. He found her hand and helped her stand.

"We love you."

And it was him. It was him and his height, his shoulders, his orange hair and peach colored skin. His sideburns, amber eyes and rough lips. She loved this man. And how selfish of her to deprive him and her child of herself. They needed her and loved her. Orihime didn't want to think about what she had done.

Instead, the woman threw her arms around his neck and yanked him down into kiss.

Hitomi clapped and cheered. "Yeah! Mommy and daddy sitting in tree. K-s-i-i-i-n-g!"

Tamotsu giggled which triggered Ichigo's own chuckle which left Orihime in a complete fit. Once she started, she couldn't stop. There wasn't anything remotely funny, but it wouldn't stop coming. The laughter that is.

Tamotsu hugged his mother's body again. "Mom, I missed you."

Orihime kissed his head. "I missed you too." She smiled. "All of you. So much."

And she did. Already she could feel the cold chill, the stiffness in her bones and muscles lift from her body, from her soul. She wasn't giving up on Chīsana ichi. But she was living. Living and being with the ones who loved her back.

* * *

**Days later.**

* * *

Orihime never knew how much she missed out on. Hitomi put on a little Barbie play for the family, Ichigo gained an official new client, and Tamotsu made the town's Little League softball team!

Everyday she caught up on everything she wasn't awake for. Everyday it was something new. She couldn't believe how much she had given up.

"Hi!" Orihime said breathlessly. Ichigo came in a kissed her on the cheek. It was late and Ichigo was just getting home, but that was fine with her. Time was no longer an issue for her.

"I'm working on this new recipe!" Orihime lifted the bowl she was mixing in. Yes, she had an electric mixer, but hand mixing was still effective too.

Orihime watched a tired Ichigo sit on a stool at the island. Orihime dashed a few more things into the concoction before mixing it again. "I haven't been in the kitchen for so long. Once I started cooking I couldn't stop!"

Ichigo nodded, staring at his wife, his lids heavy.

"Wanna taste the batter?" Orihime asked.

His lids fluttered. "Huh?"

Orihime shoved a spoon in his face. It was piled with a brownish batter. "Here!"

Ichigo wanted to protest but he didn't want to make her upset. So he took the spoon to his mouth and swallowed. All types of cinnamon-y taste swirled on his tongue.

"So," Orihime wiped her hands off on a rag began buttering a pan. "How was your day?"

Work was the last thing Ichigo wanted to talk about. Scratch that- the first thing needed to talk about was the last thing Ichigo wanted to talk about. He didn't know when he should bring it up, but he needed to bring it up soon- very soon.

But how would he start it out? "Hey honey, but I'm shooting blanks"? No.

"Boring paperwork, annoying clients?" Orihime suggested, trying to get a conversation going.

"Orihime…" Ichigo let his mouth move but only half sounds and words came through. He rubbed his hand over his face. "I have something to tell you…"

"First, tell me this." Orihime tapped her forefinger on her bottom lip. "Does it need more nutmeg?"

"Orihime-"

Orihime dipped her pinky into the batter and licked it off. "The sweetness needs a balance…"

"Orihime-"

"Ichigo." Orihime stood still for a moment, her held bowed so her ponytail swayed to one side. "Ichigo… if it's anything bad… I don't want to hear it." Her head rose slowly and she smiled. "Can't we just be happy for once?"

The woman around the island. Her smile dimmed into a smirked. "I was thinking…" she said, sliding her hands against Ichigo's chest. "I'm feeling much better now…"

She leaned down and kissed the back of his neck. Her hands ran down his chest to his muscular abs under his crisp collared shirt. "We should start trying again, really soon."

"No."

Orihime's hands were stopped, gripped by something. The woman pulled away, surprised. "Huh?"

Ichigo sat hunched over the marble top. "…No…" He sat up straight and twisted in his chair to see his wife. "Orihime…. There's something…." Ichigo took a deep breath. "Orihime I'm having an operation."

Rejection wasn't anything new to Orihime, but it still hurt nevertheless. She blinked a few times, coming to terms with his refusal. The woman walked back around the island to her bowl and pan. "…What kind of operation?"

Ichigo folded his hands, looking her in her eyes. "A vasectomy."

Shattered hadn't even come closer to how her world felt at that moment. It was completely demolished, ruined, and swept away like it was nothing.

Ichigo's wife stared into space. Behind him, but at nothing specific. Ichigo's eyebrows crumbled. "Orihime, I said-"

"I heard you…" Orihime closed her eyes and breathed. Breathing was the only thing she could do at this point. "Why… when?"

"It hasn't gone through, not yet. I'm scheduled for next week, Wednesday."

The kitchen grew quiet. The only sound was the oven "ping" indicating that the preheating was done.

This surprised Ichigo. He thought it would have been much worse. He thought it would have been screaming, yelling, and accusing. But this wasn't his first rodeo. This… this was just the calm before the storm.

"But… but what about _Chīsana ichi?" Orihime held her belly. All of her chances, all of dreams, her efforts were a waste. Her child flushed down a toilet. "We can't give up… We can't give up on him!" Orihime shouted. "Not now!"_

Ichigo lifted both brows. _Chīsana ichi_? He shook his head. "What are you talking about?"

Orihime threw her rag on the ground. "My baby, our baby, Ichigo!" She wiped her face with her hands, running it back into her ponytailed hair. "We can't give up!"

"Orihime…. Why do you still persist?" He stood. "I can't stand to see you this way. The children noticed. I told them you were sick but they know something's up. Do you know how devastated Hitomi was when she found out there was no baby? She cried in her room for days!"

Orihime licked her dry lips. "That's not fair!"

"What isn't fair is that you keep putting us through this." Her came up to his wife and held her arms though she resisted. "It has to end." He tried to look into her eyes put she kept looking away, like a child. "Orihime- Orihime, look at me!"

"After everything we've been through…" Orihimes' hands became fists. "You still want to take what I desire from me." Her head came back up and there were tears there, rolling down her cheeks. She didn't want to cry, she was sick of crying, she was always crying. But she couldn't help it. He hurt her. He hurt her bad this time.

"I just want to have your children Ichigo… and you won't let me…"

He gave her arms a tiny squeeze. "This isn't what that is about."

"Then what is it?" she whispered.

How hard it was to convince such a stubborn woman. He bent down to get a closer look into her smoky gray eyes. "It's about you seeing everything that you have in front of you. It's about the kids." He squeezed her arms again. "It's about us."

Orihime pushed him away and shouted: "Ichigo, you ruined us!" Then the woman stormed up the steps, entirely oblivious to the awake children, sneaking back into there beds before anyone could take notice.

* * *

**A few days later.**

* * *

When the front door opened, Tamotsu immediately jumped to his feet and ran to the figure. "Tatsuki-san!"

At the name, Hitomi jumped up too and grabbed onto the woman's leg.

"Guys! I need my legs to walk!" Tatsuki shouted and tried prying Hitomi off her calf to no avail. They soon backed off and tried pulling her to each of their new projects. Hitomi tried to get her to play a round of Barbies, and Tamotsu made her look through his telescope though it wasn't a good idea with the sun high in the sky.

"Let the woman breath please," Ichigo said as he brought his long time friend into the kitchen. He handed her a cup of tea as she tried to shoo his daughter away.

"But Barbie needs a Ken!" Hitomi whined and pushed the male doll into Tatsuki's hands.

"We can play after me and your daddy finish talking, alright." Hitomi harrumphed and crossed her arms. Tatsuki pointed to the kitchen doorway. "Now scat."

Hitomi took her Ken back and left the room, giving Tatsuki the perfect opening to begin their much needed conversation.

Tatsuki took a sip of her tea. "So. How she been?"

Ichigo sighed. "Not good. I was hoping you could talk to her for a while, make her see my point of view."

Tatsuki nodded. "Gotcha."

They left the kitchen and Tatsuki started up the steps but stopped.

"And Ichigo…"

He glanced up. "Hmm?"

Tatsuki gripped the railing as she spoke. "I think what you're doing is good… but you went about it the wrong way… You can't through something new and unfamiliar in front of Orihime, or she'll shy away. That's the way she's always been."

Ichigo shoved his hands in his pockets and huffed. "Yeah, I know…" He huffed again and then smiled up at his long time friend. "You she would have just talked me out of it."

Tatsuki grinned back. "I know that too."

The woman continued on to the bedroom, knocking once before walking inside.

"Hey!"

The body rolled over in the bed and a head poked out from under the covers.

Tatsuki grabbed her bench from her vanity and pushed it over to the king sized bed. "Well don't look too happy."

Orihime blinked, unbelieving. "Wha-what are doing here?"

"Why can't I visit my best friend?" Tatsuki mockingly placed her hands on her hips. Years hadn't done much to change her. She still had her cropped hair cut and toned body, and very present sassy attitude. "I know it's been a few long months since we talked but I'm here now… that's all that matters right?"

Tatsuki has shown up on their door step plenty of times, she was always invited. But this felt different somehow, planned in some sort of way, right under her nose. "Ichigo sent you here."

The woman rolled her eyes. "Well I won't lie to you."

Orihime shook her head. "You know what he's doing right?" She sat up. "Can you believe him?"

Tatsuki sat on the bench. "Honestly, Orihime, I can't believe you."

Orihime gasped. Her best friend wasn't taking her side? Why?! Why was everyone turning against her?

Tatsuki rubbed the back of her neck. "…You and Ichigo have been trying the moment you got married. Nothing happened for three years. Trying and trying for months and nothing happened. Then you miscarried and the both of you had no idea what to do with yourselves. Both of you were trying to fix it the wrong way…

"And then Tamotsu was born, albeit, with another man. But it was still wonderful. And then Hitomi came along… she was a complete miracle.

"And now we're back to square one…. Don't you think your body is tired? You can't keep doing this to yourself."

Orihime shook her head again. "It still doesn't make his decision right. It's not fair-"

"What's not fair is what you're putting your body through. What's not fair is your whole household is at a standstill, waiting for you." Tatsuki's eyebrows came together like they always did when she makes a good point. "Like I said before, the both of you didn't know what to do the first time. But now Ichigo has come up with a solution and you want to run away from it."

Orihime placed a wall up immediately when she heard Tatsuki admit her side. But now the wall was crumbling, it was crumbling to logic, but Orihime pressed on. "You wouldn't… you don't understand…"

Tatsuki stood. "Orihime, you're so hell-bent on trying to reach for something you already have. You wanted a family, you got it. The perfect life, the perfect house, its right here in front of you! Your judgment is just so clouded by years of rejection that you can't see what you already have."

"You don't-"

"I do." Tatsuki sent out that gaze that always seemed to put Orihime in her place. A place where she felt like she was hiding under a table to avoid getting hit after her parents had gotten into a drunken argument.

"I seem to understand better then you do." Tatsuki made a gesture to the bed entirely. "You sitting around isn't going to change a goddamn thing, Orihime. Wake up."

Tears surge from nowhere and spilled out from her eyes. Orihime shielded her face from the room and she bumbled into her hands: "I don't want to wake up… little one isn't with me when I'm awake…"

Tatsuki waited a few beats before sitting on the bed next to her. "I don't want to make you cry, this isn't my point." "I'm just here to let you see. Ichigo is doing this because he loves you. You and no one else… He didn't sign on to marry someone who lays in bed all day, depressed, but he still loves you."

Tatsuki was right. She was always able to make her see the right way even if it involved hollering on Tatsuki's part and crying on her own.

Tatsuki waited until Orihime got herself together. She handed a tissue from the box on the nightstand and smiled. "And if he believes a vasectomy will cure all your problems, I wouldn't put it past him."

Orihime nodded. "You're right…. Enough is enough."

* * *

**One day later.**

* * *

"…Funny how things change… but still remain the same?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah."

The family had somehow managed to all get outside at once. Tamotsu was practicing his throwing by gently tossing the ball back and forth to his little sister and Ichigo and Orihime watched them from the deck.

"Ichigo…" Orihime pushed her hands through her thick hair. "…if a vasectomy will fix this… then fine." She gathered her breathing. "I'm happy with that decision."

Ichigo lifted a brow. "Happy?"

"No." The couple laughed at her immediate answer. "But I will be." Orihime nodded. "One day, maybe."

Tamotsu threw the next one a little too high for his sister to grab. But she jumped high anyway and caught the tiny white and red ball. She hopped to her feet and cheered, screaming touchdown.

"I know you wanted this, so bad…." Ichigo said, looking back at his wife. "But I can't watch that happen again. Not to my family, not to my wife."

"I understand."

When Orihime looks back now, from the outside in, it would have been very painful to watch. Yes, she herself was still hurting. But what she put her family through in those three weeks was reminiscent to the short fifteen minutes as she watched her brother Sora die from the car accident.

"When do you go?" Orihime finally asked after a few more minutes of watching their children.

Ichigo's eyes fell back on her. He studied her expression before answering. It was happy, not happy but relaxed and pleased. And it still held a tinge of sadness which couldn't be ignored. "Tomorrow morning."

Orihime's eyes widened. "It Wednesday already?"

Ichigo smirked. "Time flies when you have fun."

The giggled at his joke. The past days had been far from fun. But they'd been the best days Orihime's had in a while. And she hoped that it'd keep getting better and better.

* * *

**Later that night**

* * *

This was going against everything Ichigo was trying to achieve. It was devoid of any logic and reason, but he did it anyway.

Ichigo crawled atop his wife and smoother her mouth with his lips. It certainly woke her up but it didn't take her long to catch on.

Ichigo moved quickly before either one could speak, pulling his boxers down and her shirt up. He kept his voice at bay with the constant smooches.

"What are you doing?" Orihime finally asked; her voice heavy and breathless, thick with anticipation.

Ichigo rubbed his hands down her sides. "This is our last chance… if it's meant to happen, it will happen." His hands came up and held the sides of her face. "If not… it just wasn't meant to be."

Orihime would have protest but his lips stopped hers again.

And why should she protest. Chīsana ichi would be reality and her family would finally be complete. These were the happy thoughts going around and around in the back of her mind and she and Ichigo made love multiple times that night. Each time increasing her chances and pleasure.

Each time his mind berated him. Telling him how wrong it was and how this was the complete opposite of what he wanted. But his mind replayed her face on the deck over and over again. This is what she wanted, what she needed. And who was he to deprive her of it forever. Even if they were running off hope and chance, he just wanted to make her happy.

Each time bringing them closer together.

* * *

**In the morning…**

* * *

Ichigo entered the car and strapped on his seat belt. Was it painful? Not too much. Was he sore? Yes, and oh so drained.

Orihime glanced his way and started the car. "How do you feel?"

Orihime made a promise to herself. She wasn't going to make this day any harder for her self or for Ichigo. They both had been through enough the past couple of days.

"I've felt better," he simply said and stared out the window as they pulled in to traffic. "How do you feel?"

Orihime looked out at the moving cars in front of her. "…I've felt better."

The rest of the car ride home was quiet.

* * *

**The next day.**

* * *

"What number is Tamotsu again?"

Ichigo took a bite from his hotdog. "Um, seven."

Orihime scanned the wooden dugout for the specific number. Then she saw him. He had his back turned, talking to another young boy, the blue "7" bright as day. "Oh! I see him!" Orihime stood and waved her arms. "Hi baby!"

Hiroyuki Tanaka was in the middle of telling a joke which all the boys around him were listening intently to when he looked up and pointed. "Tamotsu…"

"Huh?" The boy twisted his head and drained. There stood a woman, hopping and jumping in place, waving at him and only him. It was his mother.

"Hi Monkey! You do your best, okay! Winning isn't everything!"

Tamotsu turned back to his friends and saw their bubbling faces, holding laughter inside. Tamotsu pushed Hiro on the arm. "Shut up! Your mom calls you dumpling!"

With that, the rest of the boys balled out in laughter.

Hiro's blushed. "Hey!" He would have punched his friend on the arm if it weren't for their coach calling them 'round.

When Orihime finished waving and sat back down, Ichigo kissed her cheek. He liked seeing his wife like this. He missed this. He missed her.

Orihime blushed. She didn't know why. She'd been kissed by her husband in public before, plenty of times. But this time, it was different.

Hitomi only cheered when everyone around her cheered. She even cheered when two fathers of opposite teams got into a little dispute in the stands.

It was simply in her nature to be loud.

Ichigo clapped his hands when Tamotsu came up the bat. "You got this champ!"

Tamotsu got into a stance. His feet were spread apart with his left foot lifted a little. And his arms were high and tilted; the bat hovered over his right shoulder. The ball was pitched, he swung and missed.

"That's alright!" His coach, Love Aikawa said and clapped.

Again Tamotsu got into his stance and waited, taking a deep breath.

The pitched ball whizzed through the air so fast that Orihime thought it would had hit him. She almost jumped over the gate and ran in front of him. Instead she closed her eyes and squeezed her hands together tight.

"Monkey!"

"Tammy!"

"Yeah! That's my champ!"

Then she heard the "pop" sound of aluminum hitting leather. She opened her eyes. Tamotsu dropped the bat and ran to the first base, passed it, and continued on the second. The ball flew into the outfield and rolled until one of the boys on the opposite team caught up to it. It was thrown and he finally stopped at third.

"Oh! Oh, Monkey!" Orihime waved at her son.

Hitomi hopped up and shook the gate in front of her. "Wooo! Tamm-eeee!"

Tamotsu grinned and gave two thumbs up in his family's direction.

It ended in the sixth inning, and from Ichigo's knowledge, they didn't win. Tamotsu tried his hardest though; he didn't hit any home runs, but was close to one. Orihime didn't want him to be upset because he lost his first game, though he wasn't the one who needed the solace.

"But-but! But… but the ball! The ball was hit, mommy!" Hitomi caught her breath and more tears fell. "The ball… and the- the bat! Mommy!"

Hitomi was cheerful the whole game until she found out the news in the end. She started crying and three minutes later she hasn't stopped.

Orihime held her daughters cheeks and looked into her amber eyes. "I know baby, I know." She smiled and rubbed the tears with her thumb. "Next time we come, we will win."

Hitomi nodded and wiped her face with her sleeve.

Ichigo rubbed his hand down on his son's hair, ruffling the brown locks. "You did a good job, slugger! I'm very proud."

Tamotsu placed his blue cap back on his head and beamed. "Thanks dad."

Orihime carried the disappointed six year old. "Yes, Tamotsu, you did very good!"

"Thanks mom."

The family piled into the car and as soon as Hitomi's head hit the cushion, she was fast asleep. It wasn't much of a hassle putting her to bed that night.

Orihime crossed her legs, one over the other, on the couch. "It was fun today!" She said to Ichigo as he sat down beside her.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," he murmured. It was a fairly long day. Everyone was happy about, well, besides Hitomi, everyone was happy to see Orihime happy. It was amazing to see her back to being her old self again.

Ichigo leaned in and kissed her on the cheek again.

Orihime placed the television remote down and kissed him back.

"Is it the same?"

Two minutes later, Ichigo held her legs on either side of him which gave him easy access to everything. He was in the middle unbuttoning her sweater when she asked her question.

Iwamoto said the procedure wouldn't change his sex life in any way, besides the absence of sperm.

Ichigo pulled the side of her sweater off her shoulder and kissed the skin there. This would be their first time since the operation, something Ichigo had been anticipating apprehensively. But he wouldn't let her know that.

His lips rubbed from her shoulder to the crook of her neck. He paused and hovered over her skin, breathing lightly there, making her shiver a little.

"You won't notice the difference."

Ichigo leaned back in to kiss her but her hand hindered him from coming any closer.

"_But it will be different."_

Those were the words Orihime wanted to say, so instead she leaned away from him and untangled her legs from his body.

Sure, maybe not physically performance-wise, but emotionally, mentally, it would never be the same. It just wouldn't be… the same.

Orihime didn't know why she listened to that voice. That voice, the one always in the back of her head, twisting reality and making things seem worse. She didn't want to stop Ichigo, she really didn't. But the voice in her head, the one who still loathed him, not her! The one who hated him for doing what he did to her stopped him from coming closer. And now the twosome sat quietly, if not awkwardly, in front of a muted television.

Orihime pushed her burnt-orange hair out of her face. "I… I'm a little tired."

Ichigo nodded. "Understandable… long day."

"Mm." Orihime pulled her sweater back over her shoulder and folded her arms. "Well… goodnight." The woman stood and walked to the step, never meeting his eye as she went.

* * *

**Days later.**

* * *

Orihime busied herself all day, visiting BabyCakes, raking the yard, organizing her and her husband's closet, and clearing the children's rooms.

It was an active day, but now, it was time to get serious.

Shaky hands torn open the plastic casing and pulled out a curvy white cylinder.

She felt like that little girl ten years ago, scared and helpless.

After she finished, Orihime placed the test on the counter. And waited. And waited. And waited. If Orihime poked her head out of her bathroom she could see Ichigo's alarm clock on his nightstand. She glanced back the stick. It still had no answer.

The box said five minutes, it had already been eight.

Orihime tapped her foot. "Come on, come one…"

She let another long minute go by before she took another peek. Orihime closed her eyes tightly and lifted the stick. A smile grew on her face. She knew she was pregnant, she had to be. She just had to be. Ichigo gave her another chance. Chīsana ichi had gotten another chance. It was all no coincidence.

Orihime opened her eyes and her smile fell.

One line.

One simple pink line.

It meant nothing and so much at the same time.

She wasn't pregnant after all….

…

Orihime placed the test down. She needed to get away. She needed to get away from the test, from the mirror. The woman walked down stairs, slowly coming to terms… After years and years of trying to achieve one thing, she can no longer have it.

Orihime paced the living room. It was done. It was over. The operation was shut down, the doors closed, the lights off. She would never have children again.

Orihime continued to pace to keep from crying. Crying was weak. And she was always crying so was she always weak? Is that why a baby won't hold? Is it because her body's weak? Because she isn't strong enough and her body aborts everything before a baby can do any real damage to her body?

Is that why?

All of these questions running through her mind… she needed it to stop. It was that voice; that voice all over again, feeding her bad information, twisting every comment, every action into a negative against her. Making her feel as though the world was out to get her.

A card slipped through the mail slot.

Orihime stopped her pacing a faced the door.

A single cream colored envelope sat on the carpet. As Orihime came and picked it up there was no doubt as to who it was from.

She opened it and read his letter.

Minutes later, Orihime sat down at the kitchen table, paper in one hand, and pen in the other.

_I'm glad you enjoy the telescope…._

…_expand your mind to new worlds…_

…_such intellectual promise…_

_-A_

Snippets of his written words ran through Orihime's mind. It motivated her, it drove her to write. It kept her going. She wrote about his school life, his development, and his first baseball game and even mailed him a picture of the boy in his uniform.

When she pulled down the tad to the mailbox, she wasn't uncertain this time. If Tamotsu and Aizen were to meet, it would be on their terms, when Tamotsu is old enough. But she can't not right now.

She had a life to live, even with out Chīsana ichi. It just wasn't meant to be. She just had to keep moving forward, and wake up. Enough was enough.

She wasn't a little girl anymore.

* * *

**So, tell me what you think? Your opinion, good or bad, I don't mind, just as long as you aren't a flamer, I'm fine with criticisms or critiques on the story so far.**

**The next chapter will be a time skip, I do believe, and a major one at that!**

**Rocka**.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N**: I decided to hold off on the bigger time skip for this next chapter for spring break. I hoped everyone will or did enjoy their time off!

**Disclaimer:** I always wanted to write the disclaimer in another language, but I don't want to offend anyone if I write it wrong… Anyway, I don't own Bleach

* * *

"Tammy, if there are six fishies in the water and…" Hitomi stared down at her fingers and lifted three up. "And three die. How many fishies are in the water?"

"Six."

The siblings walked down the hallways together as always when school was over. Tamotsu was always sure to meet his little sister at her classroom door before they walked out the building together.

"Hey!" Hitomi crossed her arms and huffed. "You were possed to say three and I was possed to six."

Tamotsu smiled. "What you're saying is I was _supposed_ to get it wrong?"

Hitomi nodded. "Mmhmm!"

It was Hitomi's first year being a first grader. It was a little scary for Tamotsu at first, being in a larger building, in a larger environment, but Hitomi held her own just fine.

The first grader swung her _Tinkerbell_ bookbag in front of her. She dug around at the bottom and pulled out a beaded loop. "Tammy, look at the necklace I made for mommy."

Tamotsu glanced down at his sister but looked behind when his name was called by familiar voices.

Isamu and Hiro shouted his name down the hall.

Hitomi tugged on Tamotsu's sleeve for his attention. "Tammy…"

"Huh- oof!"

Tamotsu crashed into a sturdy, yet soft wall of some sort. The fifth grader staggered back a little and looked up to a wide, tall boy he's never seen before.

The boy spun around, his face immediately twisting from nonchalant to complete chagrin. "Watch where you're going!" The boy shouted. He shoved Tamotsu back even more, making the fifth grader fall. "Mop-top!"

Hitomi stomped her Velcro strapped shoe. "Hey!" She yelled, gathering the bully's attention. "His name isn't Mop-top!" The bully blinked at the tiny girl then his mouth turned into a wicked smile at her next words. "It's Tammy!"

Meanwhile, Isamu and Hiro finally caught up and helped Tamotsu to his feet. "You okay?" Isamu asked, worried about everything always.

Tamotsu nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

The bully persisted, picking for an altercation. "Sure, have your little sister some to the rescue!" A few students behind him snickered. "Carrot-top and Mop-top!"

Tamotsu took a step forward, towards the bully. "Don't talk about my sister," he growled. He strained to get closer but failed too due to the various hands tugging him back.

The bully stepped closer too, looming over the fifth grader. Hitomi jumped between them. "Tammy, stop it!" She pushed at her brother's chest, separating the rivals. "Mommy says no fighting!"

"Yeah?" The bully answered, ignoring the first grader wedged between the two. The larger boy sneered, looking down at the smaller one and scoffed. "Who's going to stop me?"

Tamotsu's lips parted but before he spoke, he glanced down at his little sister and became aware of hands tugging gently at his shoulders, the various other students stopping and glancing curiously at the disturbance in the hall.

Tamotsu took a deep breath. "Let's go."

Isamu seemed to let out a sigh of relief. Tamotsu took his sister's hand and walked past the bully, his friends in tow.

"Yeah, run home to mommy!" The bully said as Tamotsu walked by. "You know what my mom said about your mom? She said your mom is a whore."

Tamotsu stopped.

Hitomi yanked on her brother's arm. "Tammy…"

But her brother wasn't listening. All he could hear, all her could comprehend was the nagging voice behind him. His fists clenched.

"She said she's done some bad things are thinks she can get off scot-free."

**…**

Orihime rushed into the main office, her normal cheery smile vanished from her face. The woman walked to the first desk she saw and gathered the secretary's attention. "Hello, I'm here to speak with Principal Tokushima."

And why should she have a cheery smile on her face. Walking into the school building to find her children in those seats of shame, lined against the main office wall. Those chairs only meant they were in trouble, and to top it all off, Tamotsu had a bruise on his arm and Hitomi apparently nicked her knee from tripping over herself during the scuffle.

The other boy was a transfer student who was pulled from school before Orihime showed up. The mother could only go over and over in her mind what she was say to that young man's parents.

Now, a day later, Orihime was being sent into the principal's office, like she was one of the bad children sitting in a seat of shame. What a shame.

The secretary nodded. "Oh, oh yes! She'll be right with you Kurosaki-san."

This was probably the last place Orihime wanted to be. She had three different birthday cake orders to finish, Ryō was out sick, and Michiru was left in charge… Which was fine…. but not ideal.

Orihime stood when the principal's door opened. She shook hands with the woman though her face lacked a smile. "Hi."

Principal Tokushima grinned. "Hello. I just want to formally apologize for the events yesterday."

She allowed the mother to step into her office and returned behind her desk. "Bullying is certainly not permitted on school grounds." She began. "And the school yards and halls are chaperoned. Our teachers will keep an eye on the two to be sure no more altercations will occur."

Orihime's eyes moved across the room quickly. It was a trait she randomly picked up as being a mother, looking this over quickly and assessing them just as fast. Everything was organized and neat, nothing hung crooked or slouching. It was cold and the air seemed thin, suffocating. Oh it was like elementary all over again.

Even Tokushima seemed part of the interior, anal and dull. Her dark bun was pulled back into a tight knot over the back of her neck. Her skin seemed to pull back as with her hair making it seemingly impossible to blink of smile or… any outwardly emotional expression.

"We've dealt with the child and he'll be out of school for a few days." Tokushima continued, snapping Orihime back up. "Your son will also be suspended for-"

"Wait, wait." Orihime lifted a hand. "My son's being suspended?"

The principal did the impossible and blinked a few times. "Why, yes. Any child caught fighting on our school grounds will be suspended."

Orihime pushed loose burnt-orange strands behind both her ears. "….But it was self-defense… Tamotsu wasn't trying to hurt anyone."

Tokushima nodded. "That may be-"

"My son's done nothing wrong. He was pushed first. Bullied. Taunted."

Besides Tokushima's tightly drawn face and pale skin, she wore bright red lipstick over thin lips. "Mrs. Kurosaki. We have a system here. We don't want children fighting and getting away with it."

"That's the type of system you're running?" Orihime asked, her question coming out sharper then she intended.

"This system does not condone violence." Principal Tokushima responded just as quick.

The mother shook her head. "This system is... inadequate."

Tokushima stacked a few papers on her desk as she spoke. "Well, if you have any issues, you might want to take it up with the school board."

If a bystander was watching, it would have looked as if Tamotsu was the bully beating on another student. But that wasn't the case. Orihime was trying to make her understand, even if Tamotsu was fighting, he would have never put his hands on another person if they didn't give him a reason.

"Mrs. Kurosaki," the principal sighed. "It is my job to protect the student body."

"And it's my job to protect my son."

The woman pressed her thin, red lips together. Her face seemed to become even more rigid then before. Her eyes became slits and she opened her mouth again. "He'll receive a week suspension for being involved in the… skirmish, nothing more, nothing less. He'll have to make up the missed work himself."

The principal stood and so did Orihime. "Thank you." They shook hands.

Principal Tokushima opened the door and allowed Orihime to step out. "I hope to see again, hopefully not under the same circumstances."

* * *

**Later that night.**

* * *

Orihime turned the shrimp over in the pan and watched the crustacean fizzle. "Ichigo…" The woman took her tongs and turned the rest over. "He broke that boy's nose."

"I guess those lessons with Tatsuki really paid off."

Orihime glared at him over her shoulder. How could he make funnies at a time like this? Orihime never imagined one of her babies getting into a fight. "Ichigo, I am serious." She went back to dipped raw shrimp in the batter and plopping them in the spitting oil. "What if that child broke our son's nose? How would you feel? I can't imagine how that boy's mother feels."

Ichigo folded his paper down and took a sip of his tea before speaking. "One, that wouldn't happen, Tamotsu knows how to defend himself. And two, I would suspect you'd feel upset. Either way, Tamotsu doesn't have a scratch on him. He's fine and you should be too."

Orihime dropped the fried crustaceans into a bowl and turned the burner off. "He's not fine. I always have told him violence is no way to settle anything." The mother sighed. "He's lucky he didn't get kicked off the team."

Ichigo stood and helped his wife prepare the plates. "He told me he would have never hit him if it wasn't for what the boy said."

Her eyes widened. "What did he say?"

Ichigo popped a shrimp in his mouth before Orihime could whack his hand away. "He wouldn't tell me," the man said after swallowing.

"See, he's not fine." Orihime set the plates on the dining room table. "Hitomi, Tamotsu! Dinner time!"

The normal scurrying of four feet dwindled to two as Hitomi bounced into the dining room and sat down at her normal chair. Everyone sat down for a moment before realizing there was an empty chair.

Orihime looked at Hitomi. "Where's your brother?"

The child shrugged. "In his room?"

The boy sat on his bed, his back up against the headboard and head between his hands. He jumped slightly when he heard a tiny "hey". His mother stood at the door. "Dinner's ready." She said. "I made your favorite! Tempura."

The boy wrapped his arms around his legs and let his head fall.

Orihime sighed. "Me and your father aren't mad at you, you can come downstairs when you want." Tamotsu had seemed to take it upon himself to send himself upstairs as a form of punishment. This was his way of coping with what he's done. But being in a fight and receiving a suspension seemed punishment enough.

This wasn't Orihime's way of giving him a free pass to fight anytime he wanted. She knew he knew better, that's why it was hurting her. She knew Tamotsu didn't want to harm that boy, but something provoked him. And that scared her the most.

The mother folded her arms and waited a beat. "I know that wasn't you out there. I know that you wouldn't hurt someone like that."

Orihime wasn't there but she could only imagine, imagine what it was like to see him in that state, to see him want to hurt someone else, to hear that sound of skin crushing against skin. It was evil. There wasn't enough hate in the world for someone to want to physically harm someone else.

But that evil didn't come from her, it came from something else, someone else, someone far, far away.

"You're not like _him_." She said before she could stop herself.

His head came up, slowly at first, then it turned to her. And he just stared.

Orihime didn't know what to say, how could she had let something so imperative slip from her lips so easily.

For a second, she thought, she could have sworn he was going to ask who "he" was. Her heart thumped in her chest as about a minute passed. Instead, his brown eyes slit and he looked away.

The sun was going down through the window and the bedroom seemed to get darker as the conversation, or lack there of, wore on.

Orihime closed her eyes momentarily. "…You're not grounded." She finally said. "You can come down when you want to."

He didn't move, so she left.

* * *

**A day later.**

* * *

Hitomi glanced down the hall. Tamotsu's door was closed again…

She needed help with her homework and she always asked Tammy to help but he was sad right now…

Hitomi pouted. Who was going to help her with her homework now?

"And what are you up to?"

Hitomi looked up. Her mommy was looking down at her, on hand on her hip the other around a full laundry basket. Hitomi wasn't sure if she was getting into to trouble or if she was just testing her.

The child lifted her paper high into the air. "Mommy, will you help me?"

Orihime adjusted the basket in her arms. She had much laundry to do… it could wait. They entered Hitomi's room which had changed little since she was a newborn. It still sported the ocean scenery on her painted walls, and the white, pale furniture was the same. But all of the seashore knickknacks were replaced with toys and Barbies. Which was alright with Orihime, as long as she got to keep conch shell which rest on the windowsill.

The two plopped down on the tiny bed and began. Orihime took the paper and giggled. If Hitomi this was hard now, wait until she gets into big leagues. "Lets see…" Orihime took her butterfly print pencil and point to the first equation. "Count the blue stars for me."

Hitomi touched each figure as she went. "One, two, three, four, five!"

Orihime pushed a few hairs behind her ear. "And this side?"

"One, two, three!"

"So what is five plus three?"

Hitomi's face scrunched up as it always does when she concentrated really hard. It was the face she would make when her stomach hurt as a baby. "Eight!"

Orihime handed the pencil to her daughter who drew a lopsided eight in the answer box. "See, easy right?" Orihime asked and the girl nodded.

The mother made to get up and leave, but Hitomi grasped her shirt tightly making her exit impossible. "Wait!" Hitomi stared for a moment to make sure her mother wasn't going anywhere before looking at the paper again. Orihime waited until her orange head popped back up again with an apprehensive look on her round face. "Umm… thirteen?"

Orihime smiled. "Mhmm."

Hitomi squealed and hug attacked her mom. "Guess what mommy?" Orihime tried to respond but the child's arms were wrapped snug around her neck. "I can count!"

"Yes, I know!" The phone rang from downstairs and Hitomi raced downstairs. She prided herself in being the first to the telephone, always.

Hitomi watched her mother walk down the steps as she picked up the phone from its base. "Hello? Who is this?"

"Hey Hitomi!" A cheery voice said. "It's Yuzu-obasan. Is your mother home?"

Orihime tinkle Hitomi on her side and snatched the phone from her tiny hands. Hitomi whined for a moment and watch her mom talk on the phone. Her smile soon faded as she continued talking to her Aunt Yuzu.

Hitomi liked it when Yuzu-obasan came over. Every time she came over Masao and Masaru weren't far from her. Hitomi liked playing with the twins.

Orihime finished the conversation and dialed another number. It wasn't long until he picked up. "Ichigo…"

Hitomi liked it when daddy was around too. He was always at working. Working and working and working. But she liked it when he eats her macaroni and cheese! Her daddy told her it was the best stuff to eat after a long day of work.

Orihime glanced at child on the sofa, watching her. So she decided to use her words lightly. "Ichigo, I just spoke to Yuzu… It's Isshin; he's in the hospital again."

**…**

God Orihime hated hospitals. They were cold and stiff and everything Orihime hated. The lights were always too bright and every room smelled of anesthetics.

"Orihime?"

Orihime turned and gave Yuzu a big hug, careful as to not spill the cup of water in her hand. Yuzu was one of Orihime's favorite people. She was so nice and kind and accommodating and always understanding, like a sister she never had.

"He's resting right now." Yuzu answered before she could ask. They walked together down the hall slowly from the lobby. "Where's Ichigo?"

Orihime shook her head. "He couldn't get out of work but he'll be done later, the kids are in the car. How are the twins?"

Yuzu smiled. "They're fine, back at the house with Shin and Karin." Yuzu stopped and a wide grin spread on her face. "…Don't say anything to Karin, but I think Yuto is going to propose really soon!"

Orihime grinned too. Yuto and Karin have been going out together for about five years. It was only a matter of time. "That's great!" The way Yuto looked at that girl… it was inevitably.

The girls found another bench to sit on and spoke some more about Tamotsu's fight and the twins' development, but Orihime could only delay the obvious for so long. "So, I have to ask, how is he?"

Yuzu took a sip from her cup. When she spoke, her voice was its normal cheery tone, yet there was a tiny frown on her lips. "Well, it was another heart attack and he'll have to go through bypass surgery."

Orihime watched Yuzu's eyes slowly lose their twinkle. "Is that severe?" Orihime asked.

Yuzu shrugged. "Any surgery has its risks, but it think he'll be alright." The nurse smiled. "He's been a trooper."

Orihime nodded. Isshin was still eccentric and wild, but he's been slowly down. Grays have crept in and once limber limbs have been replaced with tried ones. Through it all, the old man still managed to work everyday.

Orihime could only smile. She hoped that if she ever made to her late fifties, she'd still be doing what she loved.

* * *

**A few days later.**

* * *

Orihime watched Hitomi jumped up and raise her arms into the air. The twins tried to do the same though their bumbling bodies made it difficult to do so.

Right now, Orihime was slicing celery for ants-on-a-log; Shin and Yuzu were out buying groceries, and Karin and Yuto left early… he didn't propose. Yet.

"Come on! Up! Up!" Hitomi shouted. The twins reached and swatted the air but lost interest soon after.

"Where's Tamotsu?" Ichigo set his cup in the sink and rinsed it out.

Ichigo had finally made it down to see his father. Everything was going smoothly so far. Isshin was surprisingly very serene. Well who wouldn't be before a coronary bypass surgery.

The mother sighed and sliced another stick. "Still talking to Isshin."

Ichigo lifted a brow. "Really?"

Tamotsu was still being guarded. He wasn't eating and he wasn't speaking. He didn't want to talk to anyone, anyone but Isshin. The duo sat in the upstairs all day, talking to each other. Orihime hasn't disturbed them but she wanted to know why Tamotsu was acting this way.

In the living room, Hitomi did a twirl and the twins tried it too, though it ended with the duo in a heap in the ground.

"They haven't stopped all day…"

Masaru began to cry which triggered Masao's tears which made Hitomi stomp her foot at their incompetence.

Ichigo leaned against the kitchen counter. "Wonder what they're talking about?"

Orihime turned back to the celery and began cutting again. "No…"

Ichigo kissed the top of her head as he always does when she needed reassurance. "He'll be fine." He squeezed her arm. "He will."

The front door opened and closed. "We're back!" Yuzu exclaimed. Immediately her children stopped their crying and waited until their mother came to them. Shin clambered into the kitchen, his arms full of grocery bags. Orihime had to keep the poor man, his face was so red, even more then it always was.

Orihime giggled, grabbed the bags and began unpacking them. "We got this, Shin." Yuzu sang and kissed him on the cheek as she came into the kitchen too, a twin in each arm. Hitomi followed in too, settling at the table. Yuzu placed Masao and Masaru in their high chairs and turned to the men. "Out of the kitchen now you two."

"Hey, I want to help this time." Ichigo smirked. "Any spoons that need licking, you can call on me!"

Orihime placed a plate of ants-on-a-log in front of Hitomi and she devoured them. "We'll call you when we need you."

"Fine." Ichigo gave Shin a strong clap on the back which would surely bruise his lanky form. "Let's go get a drink." Shin grinned sheepishly. "Okay…"

Orihime didn't notice, but as she and stirring the sauce and Yuzu was chopping the mushrooms, Tamotsu had come downstairs. "Tammy!" Hitomi called and took another bite of the celery stick.

Yuzu wiped a few drops of mash bananas from off twins' face. She smiled at her nephew. "How do you feel?"

Tamotsu nodded and sat down. "Better."

Orihime lifted up one of the peanut butter and raisin snacks. "Are you hungry?"

Tamotsu grinned. "Starving."

* * *

**So I thought maybe a simple, family chapter will cool things down for a bit. I need to take breaks from angst from time to time too. If I have to guess, there'll probably be two or three chapters left in the story. Maybe more!**

**What I know for sure is, the next chapter is all about Tamotsu, like you all wanted!**

**Thank you all! See you next week!**

**Rocka.**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N:** This is the chapter I've been personally waiting for. Sorry about last week, I haven't been as focused on this story as all my others. I hate making you guys wait so I just threw up any chapter I had pre-typed in my files. I would love to go on a hiatus but it just isn't ideal sense we're so close to the end.

Well, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, I know I did.

**Disclaimer:**

* * *

**Three years later.**

* * *

"Hi Tamotsu!"

The boy eyes slowly widened at their encounter.

Round, flesh toned orbs bounced before of his eyes, and then a familiar face was replaced.

The girl grinned. "How was your break?"

Tamotsu soon regained his composure and smiled back lightly. "It was fine. How was your break, Hana?"

Hana Leaned atop the desk and flicked her long, jet black hair behind her shoulder. "Oh, it was great. Of course we went down to our vacation house, the one by the shore. I got the sickest tan! And I brought this new bag that can hold all of my stuff…"

Tamotsu just nodded at the girl. "Sounded like fun."

Hana agreed. "Oh, it was." The girl hopped off the desk and headed for the door. Walking out into the hall, she saw her frenemy, but not by choice. Hana knew that Tamotsu was friends with the nuisance so that meant she had to play nice. It was a dance she and her did, nice to the face but nasty behind her back; something Hana was very good at.

Hana's sneer quickly became a phony smile. "Hey Misoka!" Hana squealed and gave her a hug. "Long time, no see! I like your hair!"

Misoka blinked a few times. Her hair wasn't anything special, just wavy, short, and light brown. But Hana's was waist long, dark, and silky. But Misoka nodded, following along in their never ending dance "…Thanks…"

Hana looked Misoka's friend, Emiko and rolled her eyes. "We should definitely hang out soon!"

Emiko knew exactly the type of girl Hana was, no one was fooled. She was probably the meanest girl in class, along with being the prettiest and most popular. She's even made fun of Emiko for her braces a few times. And let's not forget her band of followers a mile long like Ume and Sango. Yet she always had kept Misoka the closest.

Hana squealed again and slipped through the door before the others could say another word.

Emiko and Misoka both grumbled as she walked away. The girls continued into the hall and started to their lockers. That's how they met actually, they had lockers right by each other in six grade and had become friends ever since.

Misoka turned the dial and the locker opened to the right combination every time. Emiko quickly grabbed her books and said her byes but Misoka took her time. She had awhile before the homeroom bell rung.

There were three raps on her locker door and the girl leaned back.

Misoka blushed. "…Tamotsu?"

_Oh God,_ she thought. _Here it comes._

Tamotsu's lips pulled into a half smile. "Misoka… how was your break?"

Misoka's turquoise eyes widened, "It was nice. I didn't do much. How was your summer?" She shielded her face behind the locker door and squeezed her eyes shut. _Stop talking so fast, you dummy! Remember, articulate, enunciate, speak!_

Tamotsu leaned against the nearby lockers and sighed. "It was boring."

"Tamotsu, your family isn't boring." Misoka said matter-of-factly. She would know; she's been around them enough times.

Tamotsu shook his head. "We went up to the mountains and I literally face planted every time we went skiing."

Misoka closed her locker, giggling. "I don't believe that."

Tamotsu stood straight. "Why?"

Misoka hugged her books to her chest as if it could hide the fast beating of her heart. "Because I've seen you ski, and you're amazing." Yup, she has, at the class skiing trip in seventh grade.

Down the hall, Hana quickly flipped through her phone but was interrupted by an ear piercing laugh. It made her cringe. There she was, Misoka, all over Tamotsu. Her Tamotsu. Hana squeezed the phone in her hands.

Ume went on about something stupid as always. "So I said, maybe we should like do something fun?" She twirled her curly hair around on her finger. "And he was like, we should-"

"Ume, shut up." Hana spat.

Ume blinked, confused as did the rest of the group of friends. "Wh-"

"I said shut up."

"Alright, alright." Tamotsu continued. "I didn't face plant. But I tripped a few times." He paused to listen to her charming laugh. "Trust me, it was embarrassing."

"Oi! Tamotsu!"

Hiro and Isamu ran up to their friend and hauled him down the hall.

"See ya!" was all he could manage before he was dragged away.

Misoka faintly smiled and lifted a hand. "Bye."

The boys tussled lightly in the hall before walking down together. They passed the girls on their way, and one couldn't have missed the wink Ume gave Hiro and the once over he gave all the ladies. "Have you seen the knockers on Hana lately?" Hiro started once they passed. "They've gotten bigger!"

Isamu scoffed.

"She'll need a bigger ass if she wants to walk with a balance."

Tamotsu shook his head. "Guys, come on."

"Don't tell me you didn't notice! She was literally shoving your nose down her cleavage this morning!" Hiro rubbed down hard on Tamotsu's shaggy hair. "I'm telling ya dude. She wants you bad."

Tamotsu pushed his hand off. "No she doesn't."

Hiro was a good friend and all, but Tamotsu would never take relationship advice from him. Hiro was over confident, self centered, and loud, which seemed to work for him. Hiro had blonde hair and blue eyes, this was weird considering his mother and older brother both had dark hair and dark eyes. This made him a chick magnet and an overall man-whore in the making. He's already had an on-going on and off relationship with Ume since the end of fifth grade.

"You guys would be like a power couple." Hiro continued enthusiastically. He punched Isamu on the arm. "Come on, Isamu. Tell him."

Honestly, Isamu would know the last thing about relationships. He had silver hair which made him stand out amongst a crowd like a sore thumb. Yes, he was good looking like the rest; girls generally didn't gravitate towards him. Though Tamotsu has caught him eying Misoka's friend, Emiko, from time to time.

Isamu nodded. "She's a very nice looking girl-"

"Thank you!" Hiro shouted.

"-but if Tamotsu isn't interested, why pressure the guy?" As Isamu said this, a group of girls walked by and waved at Tamotsu, he barely waved back. "Find your own girlfriend and stick to her."

"Thank you." Tamotsu said, exhausted from the conversation.

Hiro huffed from the lack of agreement on his part. "Yeah, yeah…" The homeroom bell rang and other kids in the halls began to scramble to get to class before marked late. "Look we got to get to class." He punched Isamu playfully on the arm. "See ya."

**…**

It really was a mystery to Tamotsu as to why Hiro made it to Honors English, he wasn't stupid but he wasn't advanced either. He should have been put into an academic class or accelerated but Hiro could use his sweet talking skills to get anywhere, even if his grades told another story.

Hiro sat down on the top of the desk in front of Tamotsu. "You gotta like a girl with big tits. Take Ume for example. Big tits, no brains, I like 'em like that."

Tamotsu shook his head at his friend's assessment of women. Yes, definitely a man-whore.

"By the way," Hiro continued. "My brother called your mother a milf."

Tamotsu raised a brow. "What's that?"

"It's a-"

Heels tapped into the classroom and the door shut loudly after. "Alright class. Break is over!" Mrs. Nakano said and plopped down in her chair. "Hand in your prediction essays please."

The class groaned as book bags unzipped and papers were stapled. They all got up and placed their essays in the basket on her desk.

Mrs. Nakano clicked her teeth at the lack of reports on her desk. "They should have been done. This is honors English. You are eighth graders. The high school won't treat you kindly if this is how you act."

Hiro placed his report in the basket, Tamotsu, then Hana, then Sango, a few others, and then Misoka. "Come on, cough it up. Keep them coming." When the line ended, Mrs. Nakano stood and wrote in cursive on the black board. "Now, I assume that everyone has read up to chapter eight, and since my assumption is correct, you all must be prepared for a pop quiz."

Another collective groan rippled throughout the class.

Tamotsu raised his hand. "Mrs. Nakano."

"Yes, Kurosaki." Mrs. Nakano said without turning around.

"How can you assume that your assumption is correct when an assumption is basically a guess, without proof?"

The teacher stopped her writing and turned. "Excuse me?"

Misoka giggled. She knew what was happening; she's seen this trick before. It was a mind game, a reverse psychology of some sort. Tamotsu was a master at it, she honestly didn't know where he got it from.

"Before break, we left off on chapter five. You now assume that we all read up to chapter eight but before we left you gave no indication that we must read on. So you in fact can't base a quiz on the assumption that we all read up to said chapter."

Mrs. Nakano blinked a few times, getting it, but not completely. Her mind hadn't caught up with his words yet. The woman cleared her throat. "Kurosaki, have you read up to chapter eight?"

Tamotsu nodded once. "Yes ma'am, in fact, I've finished the whole book."

Mrs. Nakano placed a hand on her hip. "…And the rest of the class? Chapter eight?"

The room was silent. Misoka has finished the book, a few others too but they daren't raise their hand.

Mrs. Nakano squint her eyes then turned back to the board. "I expect it to be read by tomorrow, and then we'll have the quiz." The class erupted in a satisfied murmur. "As for today, we'll start with finishing chapter six and a five sentence summary to go along with it…"

Hiro gave Tamotsu a quick fist pound. "Nice."

Tamotsu wore a pleased smirk.

Hana, who always snagged a seat behind him, leaned forward, her breasts nearly spilling out of her unbuttoned shirt. "I'm glad someone has brains in this class," she whispered in his ear and sat back down.

Tamotsu twisted in his chair and smiled back.

Misoka continued on her day as if she hadn't seen it.

* * *

**Later that day.**

* * *

"Misoka, dinner's ready!" Mai shouted from the bottom of the steps.

Misoka closed her algebra and took a deep breath before shouting back: "I'll be done in a minute!" Algebra was the furthest thing from the girl's mind.

Misoka got up from her bed and examined her self from head to toe in her full length mirror. She wasn't ugly; she knew that because she's been asked out before but turned them down. And she wasn't athletic or fat. She was normal, though she thought her hips were a little too big for her age.

Besides that, why did Tamotsu seem so interested in Hana? Yes, she was pretty with perfect, straight hair and money coming out the wazoo because of her father's business. But what was so special about her?

Misoka sighed. "What does she have that I don't have?"

Misoka stood to the side.

Of course.

The girl stood up straight and pushed out her chest. She looked ridiculous.

Misoka deflated. She could never compete with that. It wasn't like her A cups breast were nonexistent, but they weren't developing as fast as Hana's dumb D cups. It isn't like she could speed her body along and wake up with breasts? Well she could wake up with breast but it wasn't likely to happen tomorrow.

"Misoka?!" Her aunt shouted again.

Misoka sucked teeth and headed for the door. "Coming!"

If Tamotsu was interested in her why should she care? Everyone said they'd look good together anyway.

And Misoka didn't want to continuing being just like every other girl in her grade, hoping, praying for a chance to talk to him, to say hi to him.

But what girl in their right mind could resist staring at him? Watching his fluid movements? He was so smart and talented and adorable. His laugh was golden. His hair was still as floppy as ever, through a little more trimmed. And just under his shirts one could see the muscles he's obtained from the various sports he played in and out of season.

_Who am I kiddin_g? Misoka thought as she sat down at the dinner table. Her aunt and uncle waited and began as soon as she picked up her fork. _I'm in love…_

** … **

It wasn't unusual for Tamotsu to go to bed straight after finishing dinner and his chores. His days consisted of school work and early mornings, after school practice, homework and eating. Everything else fell to the wayside with the exception of hanging with friends occasionally.

That night, however, was different from the rest. He came from baseball practice, they had a game in three days, had dinner, washed the dishes and swept the kitchen floor and trudged his heavy body up the steps to his bed.

His dreams weren't very memorable, just a few were if it was weird, like floating in clouds before a big game or eating a giant squid. So it wasn't out of the ordinary that he couldn't remember his dream that night, it was what happened when he woke up that blew him out of the water.

Tamotsu's chest heaved up and down quickly. His eyes fluttered open from the weirdest, yet most liberating dream he had ever had.

He felt some sort of sticky substance trickle down his thigh and then some.

…

His cheeks hued a deep red as he realized what he'd done.

Tamotsu sat up and blushed even more when he saw his "friend" protruding from under the sheets.

The boy was even more embarrassed when he lifted his blankets to see what all the stickiness was.

…

Thick, sticky wet stains littered his boxers and T-shirt. Some of it was clear and some of it was white and gooey. Tamotsu shuddered. The most pleasurable feeling washed over the thirteen year old's body. It felt as if every nerve in his body was amplified. From the tips of his fingers to his core, and surging up to his erect "friend", his body tighten up, jolted, and released once more.

He had never felt this way before… it was the best feeling ever!

Tamotsu laid back down at let his body finish its delight.

His "friend", stiff from all the attention, began to go flaccid and limp, lowering itself back down to its original dimension.

The boy laid there for two or three minutes, reveling silently in the buzzing aftermath. Bright spots appeared behind his eyes and his brain whirled, danced, and hummed.

Tamotsu knew he couldn't lay in his ejaculate all night. So the boy took his wet sheets and crept downstairs. He was busy shoving the dirty sheets under a bunch of other dirty clothes in a laundry basket when he heard someone clear their voice.

"Ah-hm…"

Tamotsu froze.

His father stood in the doorway, arms crossed, frown on his lips. There was no escape!

Tamotsu stayed frozen in his spot, afraid to move or turn. He hadn't changed his boxers because the thought of his mother finding his dirty sheets were mortifying. But now, Tamotsu couldn't find himself in an even more humiliating situation in his thirteen years of life.

Tamotsu saw his father's right eyebrow go up. He turned around and said over his shoulder: "Come with me."

**…**

Orihime leaned on her elbows then sat completely up. She listened intently for a moment before nudging her husband a few times. "Ichigo…" He grunted but made no move to wake. "Ichigo!" she hissed and kicked him.

The man opened a sleepy eye. "Huh?"

Orihime shrunk into the covers, like she was trying to hide. "I heard something… I think there's someone in the house…"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. This had to be one of Orihime's motherly paranoid things. Everything had to be double checked for locks every night so another kitchen fire accident wouldn't happen. Orihime believed that some else started the fire, but she didn't have any direct proof. And Ichigo didn't put it past her either. I didn't make sense that he was jumped and his house would catch on fire on the same night… but there wasn't much evidence to link the two and after much nagging, the police told them to drop it. It was just better if they gotten on with their lives… Nevertheless, she had gone completely manic when she found the front door unlocked one morning. It was one of her fears that would never go away.

"Maybe it's just one of the kids?" Ichigo suggested. He was positive he checked all windows and doors and the security lock was on. No one could have gotten in without them knowing.

Orihime blinked her big, gray eyes. "Go check."

What Ichigo really wanted to do was close his eyes and fall back to sleep, but to soothe her worries, he check the children first.

Ichigo gently opened Tamotsu's bedroom door. The blanket lay on the floor and his bare mattress sat in the middle of the room.

Ichigo pursed his lips. Knowing full well that it was his son downstairs, he still checked on his daughter.

He smiled at Hitomi's sleeping arrangement. She had managed to shove every stuffed animal onto the bed, a few fell off but many held tight, determined to secure her every exit out of the trapped bed.

Downstairs, Ichigo watching his son stuff his sheets into the bottom of the laundry basket. The man couldn't help but notice the rather large, wet stains in the front of his boxers. Tamotsu was obviously too old to be wetting the bed.

Ichigo shook his head. It was time for _the_ _talk_.

"Ah-hm…"

Ichigo saw the boy's whole body freeze. Every muscle in his body locked and his throat contracted as a large gulp passed through.

Ichigo waited for the boy to look at him before turning his back. The fear was evident in his eyes.

"Come with me," Ichigo demanded and cocked his head to the living room.

**…**

"Have they taught you about the birds and the bees yet?"

Tamotsu glanced up. "Like health class? Just a little."

"As in?"

"Sex is the process of reproduction to produce an offspring?" Tamotsu offered. Another one of his many talents, repeating texts verbatim.

His father nodded. "Yep, pretty much." Ichigo placed a hand on the back on his neck and rubbed his hand there. "Obviously you know that sex is what got you here..."

Ichigo looked down at the pillow Tamotsu had propped against his pants. "And you just had a wet dream didn't you."

Tamotsu blushed and looked away.

Ichigo smiled. "It's completely natural. All boys your age go through it in one point in their life. Sometimes you might get an erection in public, sometimes in your sleep. It's the beginning of becoming a man."

I'm not going to lie to you. I'm not going to sit here and say that sex is bad and you can't do it. Sex feels good, it's great for the body, and it's fun. But this is the time for you to step up to the plate." Ichigo leaned up and his voice became serious. "I don't want to hear about you doing things you aren't supposed to be doing at this age. Being a man is about knowing when the time is right. At this age, you just aren't ready yet."

Tamotsu nodded. "I understand."

Ichigo leaned back again. "The rest they'll teach you in class." He stood and began walking away when Tamotsu called for him.

"Um, dad?" Ichigo turned. "What's a milf?"

Tamotsu watched his father arch an orange brow and he quickly scrambled for an explanation. "It's just that Hiro's older brother said something like that… about mom… and I wanted to know…"

For a second Tamotsu thought his father would yell or get mad but instead his father smirked, almost laughed. "You'll know when you're older."

When Ichigo returned to his bedroom about a half an hour later, Orihime was still wrapped in the blanket though her eyes were slowly drooping.

Ichigo got back into bed as Orihime yawned and looked down at him. "What was it…?"

"A raccoon knocked over a garbage can." Ichigo said without missing a beat.

"Oh…" Orihime yawned but didn't lie back down. "I heard talking..."

Ichigo turned in the bed and wrapped his arm loosely around her waist under the blanket. "Tamotsu was looking for a midnight snack."

Orihime finally relaxed. "Oh…"

"Orihime, we're safe," Ichigo said into her hair once she lay back down beside him.

"Oh…" she mumbled again before falling back to sleep.

Ichigo felt her body against his' and he couldn't help to chuckle.

Sure she was thirty-six, but she didn't look it. Milf was definitely a term he wouldn't use, too vulgar. He made a mental note to kick that boy's brother in the nuts next time he saw him.

* * *

**The next day.**

* * *

"Hey Tamotsu."

Tamotsu looked over and Hana hopped right into his view.

Tamotsu smiled. "Hey."

The hallways were empty and they both had hall passes in their hands, both coming out of honors English, most likely heading towards the same place. "I hear you have a game coming up." Hana grinned. "Good luck."

Tamotsu looked the girl over. Her tight hugging shirt was unbuttoned way too low as always and her hair was tied in high pigtails today which swayed from side to side when she walked. "Fortunately, we won't need it." Tamotsu said, walking without looking at her. "Thanks anyway."

"Tamotsu… What have I ever done to you?"

Tamotsu stopped. He hadn't realized that Hana stopped too sometime ago, since she was standing a few feet behind him. "…What?"

Hana waited until he turned around to speak again, this time her voice was much quieter, softer then normal. "Nothing, I just… you're so nice and sweet to me, but that's about it." Tamotsu's eyes enlarged. This was the first time Tamotsu had ever seen Hana like this. He had never seen her other then her loud, supercilious self. "Don't you want to be something more?"

In Tamotsu's attempts to not think about it, he has thought about it once or twice. Tamotsu was aware of the piles of girls who threw themselves at him, but he just wasn't interested. He was more focused on school then sex.

But since everyone's told him he should date Hana, he's been unintentionally avoiding a moment like this…

Tamotsu's body locked as she took a few steps closer. "I don't…" "I've never had a girlfriend."

And it's not like he didn't like Hana. She was a pretty girl… it was just… something wasn't right. Even if he tried to imagine them being together, something always blocked the vision…

The person he wanted to be with never showed interest… She was just a friend.

Hana wrapped her arms around Tamotsu's shoulder, her chests rubbed against his own. "There's a first for everything," she whispered and leaned in.

Down the hall, Emiko walked across the corridor to the water fountain. Before she bent down for a slurp, two figures caught her eye.

"Oh no…"

When the couple's lips parted they embraced, and on the girl's face was a triumphant sneer. Like a jaguar sinking its teeth into its prey.

Hana's violet eyes gleamed bright; slicing Emiko through the bone like amethyst.

Emiko returned to her class. Misoka wasn't in that day, but what about tomorrow? She would know… And as her friend, Emiko needed to tell her first.

So the next day, Emiko immediately attended to her duty as being a friend. "Misoka I really need to talk to you…"

Misoka had woken up late the other night so she had her aunt call in sick. Misoka was never one to miss class. She normally had perfect attendance but her head has been so fumbled lately she just couldn't get out of bed that morning. So she took a day off to clear her mind.

"Emiko, we're going to be late to social studies." Misoka closed her locker and scurried around the corner where Emiko was following close behind.

"I know, but it's really urgent…" Emiko tried to keep pace but Misoka was always on edge when she missed a day of school, it was one of her pet peeves. The girls headed down the hall. Other kids still lounged about since the first bell hasn't rung. Across the hall a boy named Isamu smiled at Emiko which made her blush.

Still, Misoka continued to walk fast which made Emiko angry. She was trying to protect her! "Can you just slow down for a second!" Emiko said and suddenly bumped into Misoka's back.

"Emiko…"

There they were, walking down the hall hand in hand. The rest of the hall almost seemed to stop too.

"Misoka…"

Tamotsu looked aloof as he always did, but it was Hana who wore the biggest smile.

Misoka's heart seemed to sink somewhere down below, into an abyss, and her throat became constricted.

He looked perfect, she looked perfect… they were meant for each other. Like everyone said.

Tamotsu's soft chocolate eyes seemed to flicker around when he noticed everyone was staring. They went around every face and stopped when they encounter turquoise, but not for long. Turquoise flashed down and away, submissive and weak.

The chocolate hardened, for he saw the brightest of droplets leave her eyes as she turned away.

**…**

Misoka never cried so hard in her life. She had run straight from school to her house, up the stairs and locked herself in her room.

She had never felt so empty, so stupid! Of course he wouldn't like a girl like her. Why she ever thought otherwise was behind her now.

Aunt Mai softly rapped on her pink door from the hall. "Misoka… Misoka honey, are you okay?"

Misoka dug her face in her pillow. "Please, Aunt Mai… just go away…"

Mai leaned against the door, daring not the open it. "Misoka you can always talk to me… I'm here if you need me…" She didn't want to pressure the girl too hard. Every thirteen year old had a broken heart at one time or another.

Misoka dug her head further into the pillow but came back up for air.

The next day at school, those of her friends who knew made no comment, especially Emiko. Seeing them walk down the hall was painful, but like she said. She couldn't be mooning after him forever.

Boys weren't spontaneous, especially Tamotsu. It took time for them to realize what they want, and Tamotsu had made his decision. It wasn't like he would wake up one morning, pop up and be there in front of her.

Misoka sigh, closed her locker door and there he was, standing there.

So much for spontaneity.

His face didn't look happy at all, eyebrows knitted, mouth turned down- quite upset actually. "Misoka, we should really talk."

_Talk_ was the last thing she wanted to do with him or with anyone for that matter. Hana won. What more could anyone want?

"Misoka-" Tamotsu was slammed into the lockers and into a kiss before he could finish.

Misoka looked away like before when Hana tugged him away from the lockers.

"Tamotsu, I have a hair appointment after school, I need you to come with me. Afterwards we can go over my place…" Hana smiled and wrapped an arm behind his neck. "How does that sound?"

Tamotsu nodded distractedly. "Yeah… sure…"

**…**

Misoka slammed her math textbook close harder then before.

Who cared about Pythagorean Theorem, lines and integers?

Nothing mattered when… when…

Misoka couldn't put it into words. She didn't own him. He could do whatever he wanted. But why did she feel this way? Like part of her was ripped off and now she was trying to live without it, it was impossible.

There was four knocks on her door and Misoka sighed for what else could she do? "Aunt Mai, I'm fine."

The door cracked open. "I'm not Aunt Mai…"

Turquoise clashed angrily against chocolate. Tamotsu closed the door behind him. "Misoka- I-"

"Go away!" Misoka shouted and threw a pillow which he grasped with ease. His reflexes only made her angrier.

"Misoka, please." Tamotsu begged and sat down on a nearby chair. "Hear me out."

Misoka shook her head and pointed to the door. "No. Get out! Who let you in?"

Tamotsu's slowly gave a sheepish grin. "Your uncle."

Misoka threw her hands in the air, exasperated. "Ugh!" She would definitely fill her uncle in on who to invite and not invite into the house.

The room was silent for a while. Tamotsu looked around the blue room, her room. Her world. Many things changed, as did his own. Kiddy things were replaced; posters of Barney or Spongebob were traded for posters of boy bands or pictures of family or friends.

Tamotsu frowned at a photo of him and her together on the playground; their faces were smashed together, cheek by cheek, as if they were trying to become one.

He didn't frown because he didn't like it, but because he was disappointed, disappointed that he let their relationship get to this point.

"Do you hate me?" Tamotsu said abruptly. "Cause I hate myself."

Misoka's brain rattled in her skull. He hated himself? Why would he hate himself? If anyone had the appropriate right to hate, it would be her.

He was doing it again. The reverse psychology or smooth talking or whatever he did. Misoka has seen it in action and knows it works wonders. She couldn't let him get to her, not now she couldn't.

Misoka tucked a lock of brown hair behind her ear. "Why are you here?" she whispered.

The boy thrust his left hand through his shaggy dark hair. "To apologize..."

The girl frowned, confused. "For what?!"

Tamotsu took his time and stood, wandering around her small, blue world. "I told myself I would never make you cry." Tamotsu stopped at her dresser and fingered the frame with him and her inside as preschoolers. "I promised that to you. But you don't know that…" He turned, shoving his hands back into his jean pockets. "…Well didn't at least."

Misoka stroked the tassels on her intricately designed throw pillow. Everything he was saying made sense and no sense all at the same time. "But… but you like Hana… You always liked Hana…"

Suddenly two fingers were lifting her chin up ever so gently. He was close. He smelled of freshly split wood or the scent cut flowers and cool mint chocolate- a complete contrast to the warm breath wafting over her face.

His swirling eyes flickered down to her lips and back up to her eyes, his fingers still tilting her head up.

Tamotsu licked his lips slowly, whispering: "I never liked Hana."

It started slowly, then grew, and grew, and grew into something more. Something hungry. Misoka read books, romances. They always describe kisses as something ravenous and passionate.

That was an understatement.

Tamotsu's dad hadn't prepared him for this feeling. He didn't notice it at first until it touched up against his clothes, hard and swollen.

He took a deep breath against her mouth and dipped back into the kiss, pushing her back and pushing his body against her own. His hands roamed her sides, searching for skin until he found a opening at the bottom of her shirt, tugging the fabric away to feel her flat belly and rounded hips.

His lips were smooth, firm, and wide, and she didn't want to part with them but she didn't want this to go too far. Misoka leaned back but he advanced and she succumbed all over again. The new angle only made his "friend" want more.

Finally Misoka broke free. "My aunt's downstairs…" she managed through labored breath. Her back was now completely on the bed and Tamotsu's body lay on top of hers, hovering so his weight didn't crush her.

Tamotsu used his arms to lean up. He had never seen, or thought of Misoka in this way. She looked so beautiful now, even with her flushed face and puffy red lips. And not to forget her shoulder length hair and fanned out around her and lids were heavy over turquoise eyes. God, how he loved her eyes. He leaned down and kissed her once more before edging off the bed.

He hadn't caught his breath yet before he said: "Will you wait for me?"

Misoka adjusted her shirt a little while he did the same with his pants. "Yes, of course."

Tamotsu grinned. "Great, that's…. Great."

The duo turned their heads towards the door when it quickly opened. Misoka's uncle stood in the doorway. His eyes flashed from the boy to the girl to their ruffled clothes, labored breathing and flushed faces. Her uncle stood the side, his face stern. "I think it's time for you to leave."

Tamotsu looked back at Misoka and grinned wider. "I was just going."

When Tamotsu dreamed that night, he knew exactly who it was about. He remembered it until morning, and the day after and the day after that.

All he could imagine was touching her soft skin over and over again. And kissing her lips over and over again. He tried, but failed again and again to imagine what it would feel like inside of her. It was completely unfathomable.

He wanted her, badly. But not yet. The time wasn't right. Of course when he broke up with Hana the next day she was furious, but he didn't care. All he could do was send Misoka a quick, heart-melting wink from across the hall.

* * *

**I really hoped you liked this chapter. I think there are about 2 chapters left and Aizen will definitely come into play in both of them.**

**I hope to hear from you guys next week!**

**Rocka.**

**P.S. I hope I don't get banned for this chapter for the content and language. Hopefully it doesn't cross the T-rating. But hey, guys at that age are a little vulgar and uncouth! :P**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N**: Hey guys! I decided to take a little break since my birthday was on the 16th, and I celebrated it on Saturday! I hope this chapter will suffice for the time we've lost together!

**Disclaimer:** Alloriginal character rights go to Kubo. I guess everything else belongs to me!

* * *

**Five years later.**

* * *

Orihime breathed evenly, feeling it deep in her diaphragm, and exhaling from her mouth.

Each step stayed in tempo with each breath. Jogging was a way of relinquishing all worries, but it only worked to an extent. Some days, when she allowed herself to think to deep, this only led to grief.

Time was something of a wonder. It didn't move as fast as she always thought it would. There's that old saying, time flies when you're having fun. And the sadness… the sadness dwelled and hung over her for a long time.

Why was that? Why did the happiness fly by so quickly that when you finally look up, your children were leaving you behind? And why did the sadness stay when all else left? Is it because one yearned for the hurt to end? Yearned for the sadness to leave? Is that why she felt like this? Is that why she felt so sad?

Orihime came up to her house. She slowed and came to the mailbox. Of course the mailman hadn't come yet, but hoping never hurt anyone.

The woman walked up the steps tiredly. She pulled her shirt over her head when she walked into her bedroom, leaving the tight, slightly damp garment on the ground.

"Hi."

Orihime snagged a shirt from on of her drawers and put it on. When she turned, Ichigo sat on the edge of the bed, the blanket sprawled over his lap and waist, the top half of him was bare, just the she liked it yet was too embarrassed to admit.

The woman smiled. "Hi."

Ichigo scratched his orangey head. "You're up early today." She read the clock as she crossed the room and fell into his arms. 4:30 may have been early for her, but not for him. He always got up early and worked late, that's why his business thrived. If it paid the bills, who was she to complain?

Orihime sighed. She slowly ran her fingers through the tiny gray hairs on either side behind his ears. He looked the same as always, his body was just as strong, if not strong and his temper twice as sensitive. "I just have a lot on my mind, that's all."

Orihime grinned when she felt his large hands run up and down her back. "You think too much." She didn't see his face; all she heard was his deep voice.

It wasn't all bad, she thought as her husband turned her over in their bed. There were good times like this, simply, loving times, that required minimal words and soft, gentle actions. It was the times like these that reminded her that she should focus on the sadness, the past. It was the past after all.

…

But just like that saying; the past always has a way of sneaking up on you.

**…**

Tamotsu surprised his mother with a kiss on the cheek. "Morning, mom."

God, he was so small. And in a blink of an eye, he was huge. He had somehow manage to grow five foot, eleven, and Orihime was afraid that if she blinked again he might grow even higher. His body was completely different, more grown, more manly. His shoulders grew broader and his body was lean but bulked nonetheless. His floppy brown hair hadn't changed at all of course. He seemed to like it a wavy and wild like that.

If she could put him in a chamber that rewound time, she would.

Orihime turned from the island and handed him a hot plate of apple waffles and scrabbled eggs. "Morning!" She heard the waffle maker ping and transferred the goods onto a dish. Ichigo walked into the kitchen, pulling his tie up into a knot. Orihime pass him a plate. "Here you go."

Ichigo's quick hands gave her a pinch on her side. "Thanks."

Orihime squeaked but slowly grinned at the fact that Ichigo wasted no time that morning. It was hard to get it in lately, before it was because the kids were so small and reliant, but now they were bigger, grown and independent. It was difficult to find time because theirs businesses expanded so. Ichigo, with his new branch opening, and Orihime had a few new agendas of her own.

It didn't take long for Hitomi to smell the breakfast and come hopping down the stairs. The fourteen year old yawned, arms outstretched over her head. "Mommy," Hitomi groaned tiredly, she grabbed a plate and sat down at the kitchen table with her older brother. "Kei's having a party on Saturday, can I go?"

Orihime rinsed out the bowl of batter. "Hitomi, you know I need to see an invitation."

Hitomi grumbled but perked up when her dad planted a kiss on her forehead before heading for the living room.

Tamotsu stood and placed his empty plate in the sink. "Mom, we have our last game after school. Coming right?"

Orihime wiped her hands off in her apron. "How could I miss it?"

Hitomi jumped up too. "Yes! He's finally leaving! I can almost taste it!"

Orihime hadn't realized her hands had fisted around the apron as she followed her family into the living. College was great, for the child maybe, but for the mother, it meant her baby was leaving her forever.

When he rode his bike on his bike on his fifth birthday, he came back.

When he went to camp on his twelfth, he came back.

But this was different now, when he comes back, and he would, it won't be the same.

"Mom… mom… mommy!"

Lids blinked over frozen gray eyes. "Huh?"

Tamotsu threw his book bag over his arm, an average sized bag which oddly looked small against his large frame. "Remember, the game. It's home." Hitomi waved from the front door. You could hear Ichigo honking the car horn from outside. "Bye mom!" Tamotsu bent and gave his mother a peck on the cheek. "See ya!"

The front door closed shut.

Orihime exhaled. Everyone leaves.

**…**

"How did the shelter like the lemon bars?"

Michiru grinned. "They said the tenants loved them. They all just love trying out your new recipes. And they are very grateful that we send over the leftovers on Saturdays. It makes them happy."

Orihime sighed. "That's nice."

Michiru crossed off a few notes on her clipboard. She glanced up to see her boss staring down. "What's eat'n ya?"

Orihime watched Michiru grab a chair and sit. "Tamotsu is graduating in a few days. And, well… college was scary for me… and I'm scared for my Tamotsu. He's my baby…"

"Oh Hime, it's not that bad. I'm sure every parent feels this way, and then when they're gone you'll realize all the freedom you have, no more nagging, or asking, or whining about everything under the sun. I would know, my kids bug me."

"But Tamotsu isn't a whiner or a nagger or anything like that." Orihime shook her head. She knew he was going to college, he was in intelligent, first in his class, and was accepted by every school he applied for. "Maybe I'm just being over sensitive?"

Michiru nodded. She placed the clipboard on her desk but Orihime didn't look at it. "I have to go early; Tamotsu has his last baseball game." Orihime slipped on her jacket. "Make sure the Ryo gets the get well card I sent."

"Yeah." Michiru shook her head, smiling. "That girl is always sick."

As Orihime watched Tamotsu play second base, she realized there was something else bothering her, something she's been masking for awhile.

There was one out. One runner on first, another on third. The score was seven to five Kurakura High was in the lead, nine innings in. It was anyone's game.

Tamotsu crouched lower, watching, waiting for the batter to make his move. Isamu took his time, lifting his leg, winding back and releasing the ball to the batter. It was fast, but the batter was faster.

Those thoughts whizzed through her head as fast as the ball flew through the air. She knew what she had to do. She thought that maybe it she forgot, but pretended to forget, it would all go away, but it never would.

The ball was smacked high across the field. The runner on first dashed to second, but Tamotsu was on point, catching the ball and tagging the runner out. The boy wasted no time hurling the ball to first base and tagging the batter out also. A double play.

A double standard. Orihime knew what she had to do, but telling herself made it no easier. The time had come and he needed to know the truth.

The umpire stood, swiping his arms through the air. "Three outs! That's the game!"

The end was bittersweet. All of the boys were going their own ways. Sure there were promises of staying in touch, but plans always seemed to fall through.

This is why it wasn't a surprise for Orihime when she found him sitting in his room later that day.

Orihime knocked on her son's door. "You okay in there?"

"Fine, of course." His voice said. She opened the door and there he was, sitting on his bed, one leg propped up to hold a book he was reading. "Why wouldn't I be?"

He had his thick, square rimmed reading glasses on, he didn't really need them, considering his vision was near perfect, but he insisted.

Orihime crossed the room and sat on the edge of his bed. "You're leaving. You must feel something?"

Tamotsu closed his book it read Adam Smith's _Wealth of Nations_. "I'm going to miss you. Dad and Hitomi too." Tamotsu stared down at the book and fingered the rim. "I'm going to miss all my friends…"

Orihime always liked Tamotsu's friends, except for maybe Hiroyuki. That boy was a piece of work, viewing woman and discarding them the way he does. Orihime was just glad Tamotsu didn't use girls.

He was very good-looking young man, having a few girlfriends before but nothing serious. There was just one person Orihime had always thought of when it came to her son being with someone. A bright grin crept on Orihime's face. "You know I always liked Misoka."

Tamotsu groaned. "Mom…"

"She's a nice girl. She comes from a good family." Orihime's grin widened. "She really likes you."

"Mom…" Tamotsu slipped off his glasses and folded them down. He and Misoka talked all the time, but that was an aspect, an uncertainty Tamotsu wasn't able to control, and the boy liked control, especially when it was his'. The time just never seemed to be right for the two.

"She won't be far, remember? We're going to the same school after all."

"But of course, that's not what's bugging you."

Tamotsu stared down at the glasses in his hands. "Have you ever had a dream that felt so real? Like it happened before or… or will happen? Like a premonition or déjà vu of some sort?"

Tamotsu looked up at his mother. There was another factor he couldn't control. His difference. Yes, he loved his differences, he knew he handsome and clever, he's been told enough times in his life. And his intellect was something to behold, becoming top of the class, president of the honors society, all advanced placement classes, their undefeated baseball team captain of the season, and class valedictorian.

All of those, and more were advantages, advantages he didn't need against his family. When he looked around, he felt out of place, different. Between the golden strands of hair, hotheaded tempers, and odd taste in food, he wasn't like them. He's realized this a long time ago.

And his dreams amplified this. His dream was a big swirl of all the people he knew, staring at him with a look on their faces, like they knew something he didn't. Especially his mother's face. It was him against the world.

Except… except there was this man. His face was blurred however a smirk was evident on his lips, and he sat at the top of a hill, far off in a shadow. The man's hand extending forward, uninviting but understanding. They were different together.

"Tamotsu… people get those all the time." He felt his mother's comforting hand against his cheek. "Don't be so afraid of it." There was nothing like a mother's touch.

Tamotsu nodded. "You're right." Orihime allowed her son's warm hand remove her's from his chiseled cheek. "Besides, whatever I'm seeing may not even be true…"

"Well, I'm making you favorite dinner tonight, for the college boy!"

Now that he sniffed the air, he could tell. "Aw…" Tempura wafted through the open door. What he did know to be true, however, was that his mother made the best tempura in the world.

* * *

**A few days later.**

* * *

"Hitomi put the phone away!" Orihime tapped her leg so Hitomi could pay attention.

Ichigo adjusted the camera so it could record the students coming in and sitting down.

Hitomi pushed her cell phone in her pocket and sighed heavily. "When is Tamotsu coming out…?"

"Soon, honey, soon…"

After a few speeches from the members of the faculty, the vice principal, principal and the counselor, they announced that the class valedictorian would give the assembly a few words of wisdom.

"Here he is now." Ichigo, Orihime and Hitomi stood and cheered when Tamotsu walked onto stage. He wore the traditional school colored silvery gray gown and cap with the red tassel to the right. He took his spot at the podium and cleared his throat.

The stadium became quiet.

_"__When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us."_ Tamotsu looked up from his paper. "That was a quote by Alexander Graham Bell." He smiled. "Let us all take this moment and remember the times we have had here. The fun… the tears… the trials and tribulations. The good times and even the bad. All of it. But don't let it define you, don't regret."

Orihime watched her son and folded her hands on her chest. That salty prickly feeling crawled its way up to her eyes and she knew that the waterworks would start soon.

"Don't let it hold you back from the now. Right now we are here today in this stadium to celebrate the accomplishments of our class. To celebrate all we've done. We've worked hard to get here and we'll work even harder to get to the top, because that is where all of us are heading. Our accomplishments mean we have the skills to learn and success in this world. We are winners." The crowd began to clap and Tamotsu smiled triumphantly. "So don't look back and regret. You made it. Now open that door and make it your own!"

The claps began whistles and hoorays. Many stood as did Ichigo and Orihime, clapping the loudest. Ichigo recorded the whole speech and Hitomi took pictures with her phone.

He left the podium and the principle began announcing each student alphabetically for their diplomas. He finally made it to the Ks.

"Hajime Kitagawa."

Then they announced Tamotsu's best friend. "Misoka Kobayashi."

There were a few others in between, but not by much. Mutiple Kokubunjis, Komoris, kotos, Koyamas, Kubos, and Kunimitsus were in the mix.

"He's up next!" Orihime grinned widely. "Ichigo make sure you get it all!"

"Tamotsu Kurosaki."

His family cheered.

Tamotsu came back onto the stage. The principle handed him his diploma and shook his hand. Tamotsu then pushed his red tassel from the right side to the left.

**…**

Tamotsu shook the hands of his teachers and smiled for the cameras.

Orihime continued clicking away and silently crying. "Ichigo, get one with me!" She shoved the camera in his hand.

The man rolled his eyes and clicked the top button on the digital device.

"Tamotsu, I'm so proud of you!" She squeezed his cheeks between her hands then wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Mom…" he groaned in embarrassment and blushed. "You're hurting me…"

"I'll never be able to hold you tight enough…" she whispered.

Tamotsu's brown eyes sparkled.

"Here, get one with your sister!" Orihime pushed Hitomi next to her son. He wrapped his arm around his sister and smiled for the camera.

"Oh, Ichigo!" Orihime tugged at Ichigo's arm. "He's leaving us! My little Monkey! My sweet little Babycakes!"

Tamotsu's eyes widened at his childhood nicknames. "Mom…. We're in public…" He turned around at looked at the crowd of students around them taking pictures with their own family members. "Give me a sec."

Tamotsu ran over to the other side of the field and hugged a girl with short, sandy brown hair from behind.

"Ah! Tamotsu!" Misoka turned around and gave her best friend a big hug. "Don't scare me like that!"

Tamotsu smirked. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He grinned. "So, graduate, what do you plan on doing with your life?"

Misoka thought for a moment. "Oh, I don't know…. Maybe I'll go the some lame college with my lame friend and get a lame job so I'll have to work for the rest of my lame life."

Tamotsu chuckled. "Your life isn't that lame. Besides, you have me, remember?"

Tamotsu would have, could have said something more, but he could remember. Something of an apparition caught his eye.

His strong form stood erect with an intricately carved cane though it looked as if he hardly needed it. Wisps of gray lightly touched the sides of chocolate brown hair.

Tamotsu squinted.

He had on shades… and a triumphant air around him… almost proud.

The boy squinted harder, though he didn't need to. Once he realized he understood their was no going back. …It was the man from his memory. A man who was supposed to be a dream. He still wore the same look, the same expression, the same smirk on his face.

"….Mister…."

"Huh? Misoka turned around and looked into the crowd. "Mister who?"

A group of students walked in front of him and when the space cleared he was completely gone, as if he was never there to begin with.

Tamotsu snapped back and shook his head. "N-nothing… I thought I saw someone…"

"A teacher?"

"No… It's nothing…" He shook his head again and smiled down at his small friend. "You still coming to the party, right?"

Misoka nodded and smiled back. "Why would I miss our graduation party?!"

"Tamotsu! Tamotsu!" The man turned and saw his mother waving him over.

"I think my mom wants to get a picture of us before she burst."

Misoka laughed. They walked together back to Tamotsu's family.

Orihime took control as she placed everyone where they should be. "Okay, you stand right there… and you right here… and- Tamotsu! Put your arm around Misoka's waist, please!" Orihime huffed.

Misoka froze as she felt Tamotsu's warm hand come around her.

Orihime handed the camera to another person, asked them to take the picture and got into to place. "Everyone smile!"

Misoka gave a rigid smile and jumped when she felt Tamotsu give her left side a squeeze.

It was wonderful.

Electrical jolts and tingles went through her whole body but she didn't let it show.

"One more!" Orihime cheered and the man continued to take more pictures.

The grouped shifted from one leg to the other, gathering a better stance. As if he could move any closer, Tamotsu's body moved right up against hers, burning her down to the bone.

Finally, after an eternity, Tamotsu's body slipped away, leaving her whole left side of her body feeling numb.

Misoka's turquoise eyes slowly traveled upward until they met his. "Tamotsu-?"

"My family is going out to lunch. Wanna come?" He smiled but his face gave no indication to the feelings his enticing gave her.

But Tamotsu was a sneaky lad. Curse his poker face.

Misoka stared up at him dumbly. "N-no… m-my… m-m." Misoka didn't trust herself to speak again. So she took a deep breath and let it all tumble out. "My aunt is taking us out."

Tamotsu shrugged. "Alright. I'll see you later at my place then."

* * *

**Later that day.**

* * *

"God, you've gotten so big!" Tatsuki smiled at the broad young man.

"Tatsuki-san!" Tamotsu picked her up and squeezed her into a tight hug. Her feet left the ground.

When he put her back down she gasped for air. "And stronger too." Tatsuki forced her boyfriend to hand over the gift bag.

"How have your travels been, Tatsuki-san, Tanaka-san?" Tamotsu walked Tatsuki and Tanaka to the back where the rest of the people were. Tatsuki shooed his comment away. "Oh, fun. You'll see the world some day too."

In the kitchen was where you found Orihime, as usual. Yuzu was there with her of course. She carried her three year old daughter, Masaki, in her arms and dodged the twins as the six year olds ran between her legs. Not too mention the bun in the oven she had at the moment.

Orihime wasn't jealous though. She had become satisfied with what was given to her. Hitomi and Tamotsu were everything she could have asked for and more.

There was another knock at the front door and Orihime opened it. "Ururu!" She gave the sweet girl a hug. She used to be small but now she was completely developed as a young lady.

"Hello, Kurosaki-sama… I mean Orihime."

The woman smiled. "Come in! Everyone is in the backyard."

Ururu lifted her bag. "I brought a gift!"

"Oh, thank you!" Orihime looked behind her at the piling stacks of graduation presents. "I'll just put it with the rest."

Orihime walked Ururu outside where the rest of the party was.

When Tamotsu saw her he immediately blushed.

"You are so big! Pictures do you no justice." Ururu gave him a kiss on the cheek. "It was just yesterday that I was changing your diaper." Tamotsu blushed even redder. "Well, that was the past, I'm a man now."

Ururu and Orihime gave each other a look and smiled. "Sure you are."

Misoka dropped by, friends from school, and even the newlywed Karin came by. She wouldn't have missed his graduation party for the world. Yuto didn't mind.

Tamotsu wasted no time listening to Tatsuki's story about her adventure. Yuto and Ryo had somehow managed to get sucked into the story also. "It was beautiful. And the locals were nice. There was this cove, with a waterfall streaming in front; I think I might have a picture. Me and Tanaka spent the night there before heading out back to the towns. The stars are very bright at night."

Misoka stayed in the kitchen Yuzu and Hitomi, a placed where they could get away from the grill where the men retreated.

Ryo sighed. "Oh, it sounds wonderful. I want to travel, but I can't seem to bring myself to do it."

Tatsuki nodded. "It's worth it honestly." She grinned and glanced towards the grill. "Especially when you're with someone special." Orihime had never seen Tatsuki so happy that day. Tatsuki had always said she'd never trust a guy again. But Tanaka wasn't just _a_ guy. He was _the_ guy. The right guy for her, or who could keep up with her at least.

Tamotsu put his paper plate on the table. He would definitely travel one day, nothing would stop him from doing so. And he knew the exact special person to bring along with him….

The boy felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Tamotsu, come with me." His mother whispered from behind.

Orihime and Tamotsu walked up the stairs and opened the door to the attic. "…Mom… what are we doing up here?"

Orihime looked behind her and gave him a faint smile. "Just follow me."

They continued to walk up the steps and came to a dusty room.

Tamotsu coughed at all of the dust in the air and looked around. "Hey!" he spotted his old racecars and trucks. The telescope he had gotten at that one Christmas. His remote controlled robot. Oh! And poor Kon sat on top of a dresser in the corner.

Tamotsu walked over a wiped the piling dust off of the lion's orange fur. He remembered doing everything with the old, torn, stuffed animal, his best friend.

"Tamotsu." The man looked up. Orihime patted the old seat next to her. She held a worn box in her lap. It wasn't as dusty as the rest of the piled junk.

Tamotsu sat down and looked up at his mother. "Why are we in the attic?"

Orihime lifted the box. "Because of this…" she whispered. "Um… your father and I wanted to wait until you were just a little bit older… But I think the time to tell you is right now…"

He straightened up sensing a serious air. "What's going on?"

Tamotsu felt his mother's small hand touch his cheek and she smiled. "You look so much like your father…"

Tamotsu lowered his eyes. "No one says that to me but you…"

Orihime looked back down at the box before long. She lifted the lid and placed it on the ground. She pulled out an envelope and handed it to him.

Tamotsu read the address but it was a little faded and hard to make out. It was already torn open so Tamotsu pulled out the papers.

He read the first sentence out loud:

"_Dear Tamotsu, you've gotten so big. Years go by so quickly, I can hardly keep up…" _Tamotsu looked at his mother. "It's a letter."

He continued.

"_I want to see you so bad, my son, but things don't always go as planned…"_

Tamotsu leaned back and stared at the letter. "What is this?" he demanded.

Orihime sat quietly, her head sagging downward. "Keep going, please…"

"_I love you. Sincerely, your loving father, Sousuke Aizen."_

The words hung in the air for a long time. They crept into Tamotsu's mind and seemed to swirl there, implanting themselves, embedding themselves.

"Mom… Mom what is this?" Tamotsu heard a tiny sniffle and a plop. Her face was covered and he saw little individual puddles of tears by her feet.

Tamotsu pulled out another envelope and yanked the vanilla paper out.

"_I can't wait to see you. How you've grown! So strong and big…"_

And another.

"_You got honor roll! That's my boy! I'm so proud…."_

And Another.

"_Off to tenth grade, are we..."_

"_I want to talk to you, to have a conversation..."_

"_My flesh and blood…"_

"_Tell your mother that I love her…_

Sincerely… Sincerely… Sincerely… Sincerely…

"_Sincerely, your loving father, Sousuke Aizen."_

Tamotsu stood. "What the hell is all of this?!"

"Don't use that tone of voice with me!" Orihime stood too, her face streaked with tears. "Now sit so I can explain…"

"Who is this man…? Why is he calling me 'his son'?"

"Let me get to that…" Orihime swiped both of her hands across her cheeks slowly. "It seems so long ago… But your father and I did some very petty things to each other. It's all over now and your father and I love each other very much, we always did, but it was very complicated…

"One night I met this man… He was sweet and kind and just amazing, he was.… He was everything your father wasn't at the time. We… um… we ended up doing something very stupid and I ended up pregnant." Orihime looked Tamotsu in the eyes. "Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

"You're telling me that this man…" Tamotsu held up a letter. "_Sousuke Aizen_… is… is…" The man shoved his hands through his thick brown hair. "Is… my father…?"

Orihime bit her lip and reluctantly nodded.

He took a deep breath. "You're joking. This is a graduation joke! You're lying!" Tamotsu stood and pushed the letter back into the box.

"She is not."

The duo looked up and saw Ichigo standing in the doorway. "She's telling the complete truth."

"But you're my dad… Dad…" His bottom lip quivered. "…I'm your son… Right…?" Tamotsu looked to his father then his mother and back. "….Right?"

Ichigo stepped forward, calm, yet hard and intense. "And you are. I raised you. I feed you. I sat on the bench at all of your games… But I'm not your biological father."

"I don't believe you…" He took a step back and looked at the both of them.

Orihime rummaged through the box again and handed him another paper.

Tamotsu took the paper and read the top. "It's a paternity test certificate…" He shook his head and thrust it back to his mother. "I can't read this!"

Orihime pushed the paper into his hands. "You have to!"

"Orihime-"

"He has to, Ichigo! He can be upset, mad even. He can hate me! But he deserves the right to know!"

Tamotsu looked down at the paper. "…It reads that the probability of Sousuke Aizen being the biological father of Tamotsu Kurosaki is… 99.9999%..." Tamotsu looked at his parents.

Ichigo wrapped an arm around his wife and rubbed her shoulders. "Continue," he said in his deep voice.

"Therefore, it is practically proven that Sousuke Aizen is the biological father of Tamotsu Kuro….saki…" His face crumbled and his voice filled with anger. "Why did this happen? Why did you tell me! Why!"

Ichigo clenched his jaw. "Don't you dare yell at your mother!"

"Can I even call her that?"

Orihime gasped and before she knew it, her hand was slapping him across the face.

He held his stinging cheek in shame. His words were completely out of hand. "… I'm sorry…"

Orihime grabbed both of his hands and guided him back down to their seats. "Tamotsu… I love you, I do. I want you to understand that because I love you, I couldn't keep this from you."

His head sagged and his hair became a thick dark brown veil. "I was a mistake, wasn't I? …I was never supposed to happen..."

"You can't think like that!" She squeezed his hands tighter so he could look up at her. "Yes! Me and your father did a lot of stupid shit and made a lot of mistakes… But you were never one of them." He finally looked up.

"You are my greatest gift… I don't even deserve you… You're my son and I can't stress to you how much joy you bring me." She pushed a brown lock away from his face. "I don't think… I don't think I would have made it if it weren't for you…"

Tamotsu closed his eyes and digested everything he was told… It all suddenly made sense. So many things were suppressed in his memories came spilling out.

Why… why hadn't he realized before? He was a child, how could he have known. But he did, he did know and now he couldn't un-know, and it was always in his nature to find out more.

"…I want to meet him."

Ichigo stepped forward with his hands in his pockets. "Is that what you think is best?"

Tamotsu nodded up at his father. "I want to meet him… but he'll never replace you…" He stood and encircled his arms around his father. Ichigo embraced him back.

**…**

Tamotsu sat inside the wheel, he could hardly fit with his huge shoulders and arms so instead he let his legs sprawl out and leaned his head on the edge.

_What the hell? ...What the hell?!_ Everything… was everything a lie? No, everything was the truth. His dreams, the bully, the signs, his mother…

"_You're not like him…"_

"I knew I'd find you here." A voice interrupted his thoughts. "You know they're all looking for you?"

Tamotsu opened one eye and saw Misoka walking up to him. She didn't say anything but sat on top of the wheel, pretzel-style, and sighed. "Just like old days…" she whispered.

Tamotsu chuckled, pulling at her heart strings. "Yeah."

Misoka bent over the edge of the wheel and let her head hang down. "Yeah and then you promised to never make me cry again."

Tamotsu's smile faded. "Yeah… but I did."

Misoka's turquoise eyes rolled. "Oh Tamotsu, don't be so dramatic. People cry sometimes."

The smile was completely gone from his lips and his chocolate eyes flashed up to meet turquoise. "Yeah."

Misoka blushed and nodded.

Tamotsu grabbed her arm and yanked her down beside him. She stumbled over the wheel and fell with a gruff. She winced as her head hit the woodchips. "Ow."

Tamotsu helped her scramble up and sit back against the monster wheel. "Sorry," was all she heard in the night.

The night was quiet; quiet enough with the exception of croons and murmurs from unidentifiable creatures.

Misoka glanced over at her friend. God, she knew she wasn't the prettiest girl. She knew if people saw them two together they'd wonder why he would fall for a girl like her. Which might have been exactly why they weren't together now.

"Did you keep your promise?"

Tamotsu blinked. "What?"

When he looked over, Misoka was staring back at him, leaning towards him. "I kept my promise, did you keep yours?"

Tamotsu wasn't sure what she meant at first, but her words soon came to light. She was speaking of the promise they made to each other, in her room that day, that day when they vowed to save themselves for each other.

Tamotsu leaned in too, shaking his head defensively. "Those girls meant nothing… they were just a distraction…"

Misoka glared down at her converses. Hana, Meko, and Gina... All the same girls, all a flash in the pan. All a stab in the heart… "…Did you keep your promise?" she repeated once more.

Tamotsu waited for a moment. He could crack any case, solve any problem, and write any essay. He could find an answer, but not with Misoka. She always kept him guessing, even as a child he could never figure her out completely. Which was why he needed her. Which was why he wanted to experience the greatest mystery of all with her. Tamotsu nodded. "Yes."

That night together they unravel the unknown, right there on the woodchips and dirt of the preschool playground. As he thought about the letters and secrecy, the lying and deceit, Tamotsu realized there was one more door to unlock.

He was going to see him, he knew this. But he had to ask, he had so many questions. He needed to. He needed to know this man. His father. And why he gave up on him so easily.

* * *

**Sorry, I meant to update on Sunday but my internet decided to be a giant pain in my you-know-what. We have about one chapter left, maybe two, I haven't decided yet.**

**So, I have to ask, do you think Tamotsu should visit his father? Is it a good idea on his behalf? Guys as much as you need to read, I need to know! How did you feel about this chapter?**

**I hope to hear from you all!**

**Rocka.**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N:** God, I had such a busy week and I had a few things to take care of Monday and Sunday. But I'll try to manage my time wisely so I can stay on task :D. I'm such a bubblehead!

**Disclaimer: ** does not own Bleach. I do own all characters originated from my brain.

* * *

**One week later.**

* * *

"That doesn't make any sense."

Tamotsu smirked and fingered her thin purple bra strap. "It makes perfect sense," he whispered.

Misoka fought the urge to shiver. She didn't want him finding her weakness in his touch, or the way she melted when his chocolate eyes scanned her body after they'd make love, or how now, when he lay beside her with his shirt off like that and nothing on under either... He'd use it against her for the rest of their lives.

Instead, the girl shook her head. "That doesn't make Jacob a pedophile."

"It does." His hand slowly traveled from her shoulder to her neck, tracing her skin there for a moment before creeping his long fingers into her short light brown hair. "...Jacob fell in love with Bella, but he didn't imprint. The only reason he was drawn to her is because of Renesmee, who didn't exist yet. This leads me to conclude that Jacob had fallen in love with one of Bella's potential eggs in her ovaries which would make him a pedophile."

All Misoka could do was feel and hear. She had forgotten what he was saying long before. Now all she heard was his smooth, liquid gold voice murmuring in her ear. And her mind soon liquefied when the tips of his fingers began to massage her scalp. "The story is sick and terribly thought through. I can show you at least three sentence fragments in the book and endless mistakes in the movie."

She didn't know when, but his face was soon close to her own and his lips were running down her jaw. "I should have never shown it to you," she managed. "You psychoanalyze everything."

It wasn't long before the purple bra strap had completely disappeared, as did the rest of the garment.

Misoka sat up. "My aunt will be home soon."

Tamotsu leaned in and kissed her slowly. "Will she mind if I stay for dinner?" He joked.

"Probably not." She said plainly. "But my uncle will."

With that he backed off and handed her a sweatshirt off the floor. Misoka watched him stand and slip on his jeans.

"You haven't wanted to go home since last week." She stood too and handed him his T-shirt. "What's been going on?"

_The man who I thought was my father isn't. I've been fed lies all my life. I feel lost until I meet him. I have to meet him…_

Misoka watched his thick arms contract and flex as he buckled his belt and slipped on his shirt. His voice was as deep and distant as if had ever been. "Nothing."

Misoka knew something was up, but she wouldn't pry. When the time came, he would tell her. She wouldn't push him or pull him the way others tried to do around him, or the way he could do to others. He needed a little simple in his life.

Misoka watched him pull out of the driveway just as her uncle's car was pulling up. Her aunt was in the car too. She didn't mean to giggle, but it was hard for her to ignore the deafly glare her uncle sent her boyfriend's way.

**…**

He couldn't go home. Not just yet.

Tamotsu dropped his bag by the chair and pulled out his laptop onto the table.

Sitting in his favorite coffee shop, Tamotsu turned on his computer and waited as it hummed to life.

He was the type of guy who was always prepared. Prepared for pop quizzes, surprise attacks, deflated car wheel, etc. But he was not prepared for this.

So he had to study up. Research this man whom he'd meet in the near future. The man that is the reason he even exists.

There was only one other even in his life he was not prepared for….

He remembered the last conversation he had with his grandfather. As a thirteen year old, Tamotsu was very emotional. After getting into his first fight, he seemed to reevaluate a few things, especially after the talking with his grandfather. He told him not to fret. He told him about his grandmother and how his father had to grow up fast because he felt the world on his shoulders. His grandfather told him to slow down. Life moves too fast.

Tamotsu sighed and typed in his password. He even remembered his funeral…

"_He was an honest man, living an honest, humble life. Taking care of others before him self… Realizing other's pain before his' own..."_

_Tamotsu watched all the sad faces around him. Some he knew, most he couldn't recognize. The thirteen year old was surprised at how many people his eccentric grandfather knew._

_But why wouldn't he have so many friends? He was nice, giving, and funny. He helped about everyone in town, from minor injuries to the occasional cold. He was loved and for that, he was mourned._

_The casket was drawn lower and lower into the ground as the priest continued on._

_Most managed to huddle under the large tent, but others were left to fend for themselves in their black skirts and trousers._

_There were sniffles and tears, the most from a pregnant Yuzu-obasan and Hitomi. It was the hardest of all breaking the news to Hitomi. She had just remembered playing in __Ojīchan's__ yard and pretending the old man wasn't sneaking her candy under the dining room table. Now she was crying on her father's leg at his funeral._

_She understood the concept of life and death. It was simple. If the frog's heart was beating, it was alive. If it wasn't beating, it was dead._

_Ojīchan__ was the frog._

"_May we all bow our heads in silence as we send our last goodbyes. He will receive them in heaven."_

_What Tamotsu didn't understand, what made him angry, was his father._

_Why wasn't his father crying? Why wasn't he upset? He wore a frown, a scowl even, but not a tear? Not a weep? A sound?_

_Why wasn't daddy crying for his own daddy? Tamotsu would cry for him when it was his time!_

_Did daddy even care?_

_Tamotsu hid in the bathroom of the reception hall, crying enough tears that would suffice both him and his father._

_There was a knock on the door. "Tamotsu?" Tamotsu ceased his sniffling. "Monkey come out, please."_

_Tamotsu wiped his face with a paper towel and tried to compose himself. But once he opened the door, seeing his mother staring down at him with her gray eyes and that black dress made him burst out in tears again. Orihime rubbed his back soothingly. "It's okay. It'll be alright. It will."_

_Pitiful, he knew that, crying in his mother's lap as he would a child. But Tamotsu couldn't keep it all in, everything was so sudden. Why did he go? Why did he have to leave, it wasn't time yet!_

_Orihime lifted his chin with her hands. Her smile was so soft, so soothing, it caused fresh tears to roll down his cheeks. "He was in a lot of pain and he's in a better place now."_

_Tamotsu nodded. He rubbed his face with his hands and returned to the service. His father was talking to Karin-obasan. They were nodding, speaking low. Everyone seemed to be speaking low._

_Isshin's words seemed to tumble into his mind again, about how his father had to grow up so fast. His father knew the day would come, he had been prepared. He had already cried once he realized that._

_Tamotsu just hoped that he wouldn't cry, much like his father. But time moved slowly and, hopefully, and God willing, when that day came, he would be prepared…_

Tamotsu continued on his search. Stories of Sousuke Aizen popped up all over the search engine. Reality, stock market, public relations.

Tamotsu was impressed. He owned half the town, and even more of the state. If he read further, he had branches all over the country.

"_One of the most successful entrepreneurs at the age of twenty-five." _Read one source.

Graduated from one of the top five ivy-league schools with three degrees in business.

But Tamotsu came to an impasse. His father's company came up in one article… it was odd. It said there was a brief partnership but it ended abruptly.

Tamotsu went back and searched again, this time adding the company's name to the search box and then his father's.

Sousuke Aizen Ichigo Kurosaki

He clicked the first option.

"_We're sorry. This page has been taken down due to a few slight issues. Come back later and it'll be up and running in no time!"_

Tamotsu went back and tried the next page, the page after that, and another. All said the same thing, or something akin to it.

Tamotsu leaned back in his chair and tried again, this time with typing his mother's name into the search box.

Sousuke Aizen Orihime Kurosaki

Still nothing worked. Not even images, but one. One worked. One blurry image of a woman holding a child, walking out a supermarket. A picture with a man ushering the two into a car. There were other camera men surrounding them which made it all hard to see, but Tamotsu knew. It was him and his mother and his father, all pushing to get into the car.

Tamotsu closed his eyes. It was like a bad dream… or a bad memory.

The link to the picture sprawled out a new map for him to follow, all leading to dead ends. Kuchiki Brand rung a bell. They ran some sort of business, he couldn't put his finger on it. Either way, a woman name Rukia Kuchiki tied in somehow with his father. Each page denied him access.

But he kept on digging, digging until he couldn't take it anymore. There were endless pieces to the puzzle, yet he could only fit a few together.

But when he drove home it only made him angrier. Why was all this kept from him? He demanded answers.

Tamotsu walked down the steps to his father's den. There the man sat with his back turned from his desk, talking on his cell phone. "Screw the protocol. Get us in there-"

"How could you have done it?" Tamotsu demanded.

Ichigo turned and glared razors at his son. He told the person on the other end to give him a minute before hanging up. Everyone knew not to bother Ichigo at work unless it was a crisis. Of course to him it meant a fire or death, but to Orihime, it meant a broken plate or a recipe fell through. "Excuse me?"

"How could you have done that to mom?" Tamotsu bellowed.

Orihime handed Hitomi a wet dish so she could dry it. Hitomi had really grown into her own! She had Ichigo's every feature but managed to snag Orihime's small nose. And the girl had taken on the gene of baking. She's already talked about expanding BabyCakes.

Then duo heard was the muted sound of shouting from down below. No words were comprehensible, but the voice was unmistakable.

"What did she _every_ do to you?!"

Ichigo shook his head. "You know nothing." He stood from his chair and stared his son down. "I do not have to explain myself to you."

The girls waited as the house went quiet. It was rare such heated arguments occurred. A dispute or two, but any loudness that arose was happy.

Tamotsu turned on his heels and headed for the stairs.

Ichigo sat back down and Tamotsu stopped in his tracks. "No wonder she went to him." He snarled. "No wonder she did what she did, you were selfish. You didn't care about anyone but yourself."

He kept walking. He didn't stop until he made it to his room and found the box of letters. With the return address, he wrote a letter to him, saying he needed to meet him, he needed to find out the truth and why he left him. He told him to meet him on Sōkyoku Hill at three in one week.

Tamotsu leaned back from his desk. He folded the letter in half and shoved it in an envelope.

* * *

**One week later.**

* * *

"Do we really need to get me new clothes…? I mean, I think the ones I have are fine."

Misoka stopped to look at her boyfriend. "Tamotsu they're… alright." She grinned and grabbed his hand. "But this is college we're talking about! You can't go to college without buying new clothes!"

Misoka tugged him into the closes store and began looking through T-shirts. Tamotsu wandered, not looking for anything in particular. He didn't necessarily hate the mall, it just wasn't his scene. Too many people, too many ogling girls. He was used to it, but it still made him uncomfortable nonetheless.

Tamotsu curved his finger under a scantly item of clothing and lifted it up for her to see. "I like this."

Misoka turned from looking at a cute camisole. Her eyes widened and then she smiled. "For you?"

Tamotsu pressed the red lace bra against his chest, grinning jokingly. "Yeah, it's a good color on me, don't you think?"

Misoka snagged the lingerie from hands. "Why would I get this when I'd only have it on for a few seconds?"

Tamotsu bent down and gave her nose a kiss. "Good point."

Misoka grabbed the cami off the table, added the bra to the pile in her arms and dumped the contents on the counter.

"Tamotsu!"

Misoka looked up. A silver haired beauty blinked, looking beyond her, astonished.

"Gina!" Tamotsu exclaimed behind her.

Before she knew it, Gina was reaching over the counter, her arms all over Tamotsu's brawny body, hugging him. "Hi!"

Tamotsu's arm came around her waist. "This is my girlfriend, Misoka."

At that, Gina's pink finger nails began drumming along the counter impatiently, the smile she kept on her face began to falter.

Misoka grinned wearily. "Hi. I remember you."

Gina's brow crumbled in thought. "I… I don't remember you?" She swiped each item of clothing, giving the lace bra a long glare before ringing it in. "Did you go to the same school as us?"

It wasn't that Misoka didn't like Tamotsu's ex-girlfriends, she just didn't particularly care to encounter them.

Misoka blushed. "Yeah, we were in physics together…. But I was in a lot of after school activates with Tamotsu. Writer's Ink, Year Book Club, Honor's Society, Homecoming Committee… countless fundraisers-"

"Actually!" Gina interrupted, smiling bright again. "You two went to Homecoming together. I remember now. And it was Tamotsu and Hana who won king and queen, right?"

Misoka reduced to a tiny speck. God she hated that name. She hated all their names. Hana, Gina and Meko.

And Homecoming, it wasn't a complete disaster. Though, throughout the whole school, bevies of girls at his feet, Tamotsu had chosen her to take to the dance. Besides seeing him and Hana dancing together, wearing their crowna and taking pictures, it was a great night.

Gina flicked her silver hair over her shoulder. "Your total is eighty-four, thirty-nine."

Misoka went down to grab her wallet out of her purse, but when she looked up, it was alright paid for. Tamotsu tuck his hands back in his pockets.

Gina handed Tamotsu his receipt, holding his eyes longer than Misoka liked. "It was nice seeing you again."

Tamotsu nodded. "You too."

When they walked out the store together Tamotsu immediately brought Misoka close to him and kissed her on the mouth. "You're my girl," he said and squeezed her sides.

As Tamotsu pulled out the car keys, Misoka couldn't help but glance back at the shop through the glass window. Gina was glaring down at the register, tapping her fingers against the counter again.

He handed her the shopping bag. "Look, I can't stay out all day today. I got somewhere to be."

"Okay." Misoka smiled. "Just don't get into trouble."

The man smirked. "I'll try."

Tamotsu dropped her off and drove towards the outskirts of town. He hoped he'd be there. He had anticipated this all week.

It was an old hill, dry and worn out and Tamotsu parked his old Audi on the edge. He sat on the hood and glanced at his wrist watch. The small hand lay on the three while the big hand stopped on the one. The thin red one took its time around the face, allowing the minutes to go by. Tamotsu lay back and watched the city from the hill. There, he waited. And waited… and waited...

**…**

Orihime knew he was a grown man but goodness! Staying out to eleven definitely wasn't his style.

Orihime was worried. His behavior lately has been unacceptable. The things Ichigo told her he said to him… the lateness, the cold shoulder he's been giving everyone in the house. Poor Hitomi, so out in the blue… She'd know one day… maybe not at all!

When she told him, she expected him to be surprised, angry… but this attitude was beyond her.

The front door slammed and Orihime jumped. Keys jingled and the hall closet opened and closed. Tamotsu slumped into the living room and plopped down on the sofa next to his mother. She stared at him for a few seconds, not knowing where to start, so he did for her.

"How could he do that to me?" He whispered. "Does he know how much this means to me? Does he even care?"

Orihime placed a hand on his shoulder. "Tamotsu, please… what are you talking about?"

"Him, mom. Him! I told him to meet me on Sōkyoku Hill… He didn't show up." The manic pushed his hands through his floppy hair slowly to calm himself. "….He doesn't care… he doesn't want to know me…" His hands balled into fist on his sides. "I… I bet he was a thousand other kids just like me…."

Orihime didn't know what to say. Every word he said could have been right, but she couldn't prove him wrong. Aizen was a mysterious man with mysterious ways. He worked on his own agenda, no one else's.

Orihime closed her book on her lap. "…Tamotsu..." She licked her lips and thought. "…Maybe he's scared."

A thick brown brow was lifted. "What?"

"Maybe he was so excited that he got scared and just couldn't bring himself to see you." Orihime smiled. "You know, he's human, just like me and you."

Tamotsu blinked. "That seems… plausible."

Yes! She had finally tapped into his logic. For Tamotsu, if it wasn't probable, it wasn't anything. He had to see it to believe it.

Orihime patted his shoulder. "Why don't you just take a break? I have cookies in the oven! Take a warm shower and they'll be on the kitchen table, hot and ready for you."

And suddenly he was like a babe again. The five year old that hopped and jumped around all day until he was completely drained.

Tamotsu nodded slumped further into the sofa before standing and heading for the stairs.. "Okay mom."

As Tamotsu made his way up to his bedroom, he stopped before his parent's bedroom door. It was slightly open and the bedside lamp was on so he knew his father was up.

He knocked before opening the door. His dad was standing, wiping his reading glasses clear of smudges the way he always does. "Tamotsu?"

"Dad…" Tamotsu stepped all the way in and closed the door behind him. "I just want to apologize for what I said earlier this week… it was out of hand and I'm disappointed in myself."

Ichigo ran a hand through orangey-gray hair. "Anger gets the best of us at times. I forgave you the second after you said it."

Tamotsu stepped a few feet forward. "Dad…. Can you tell me what really happened?" Tamotsu watched his father's face switch through a few emotions before settling on his usual stoic. "The real story of why I'm here?"

Ichigo sat down on the edge of the bed and patted the spot next to him. "Well, you won't find the information anywhere else."

The boy grinned and sat. "Don't worry, I tried."

"Had the best technicians in the country to take it all down." Ichigo nodded, remembering. "We would have been ruined if I didn't."

Tamotsu had had a lot of time to think up on that hill. Why was he striving for something he couldn't reach? The more and more his father spoke, the more things became connected. Lost dreams became found memories and lies came to the light.

"Well…" Ichigo rubbed the bridge of his nose before taking his glasses off again. "Your mother and I met in college….."

* * *

**Weeks later.**

* * *

Hitomi carried a heavy box of books outside to the car. "Does Tammy have to go so soon?!" she whined.

Orihime held the cheeks of her daughter and squeezed lightly before handing the box off to Ichigo. "Hitomi, it's the end of summer, you knew this was happening."

Hitomi pushed her hair behind her ears. "Aww! But… but…"

"Hitomi, I'll come back!" Tamotsu shouted from behind the Audi. "I love your mac and cheese too much."

Ichigo pushed a comforter into the back seat. "Hitomi, you'll be fine." He made a small grunting noise before finally getting the whole blanket through. "Can you go in the house and grab me a bottle of water?"

Hitomi nodded and ran back inside.

Orihime pushed the books onto the other side of the car, leaving room for Hitomi's slender body to fit through. When she looked up, she wasn't surprised, not at all. She was more irritated, annoyed even. _What took you so long?_

"Tamotsu."

"Huh?" Tamotsu looked at his mother and turned when she nodded to something behind him.

"_He's scared… he's human, just like me and you."_

But he didn't seem human. He was larger, bigger then what he envisioned in his mind. He was larger then life himself. As two leather shoes walked across the driveway up to the small family, everything else in the world melted away.

Orihime stared at the two, face to face now. Tamotsu was leaner, maybe from all the baseball he played, but strapping and muscular nonetheless.

And Aizen… He looked no different. The shades he wore hid all expression in his eyes and time had touched the edges of his hair around the sides and back. He wasn't holding the cane she'd seen him with in a recent picture he was in. He could be so misleading.

Besides that all, he was still the same.

Tamotsu bowed his head and came back up. "I'm Tamotsu Kurosaki."

For an awful and heart wrenching moment, Orihime thought he was going to turn, walk back to his car and have his chauffeur drive him away. For a moment, she thought he didn't like what he saw.

But slowly, ever so slowly, a smirked formed on his face.

* * *

**So, yes, there's one more chapter left. And it will end predominantly Ichihime since we've focused on Tamotsu for so long.**

**Rocka.**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: **Hey guys! It's the last chapter! Sorry it took me so long to update :( I had a few tests to take and they totally preoccupied my mind and time, but we're here now and that's all that matters :D

**Disclaimer: ** does not own Bleach… Sadly.

* * *

_Ichigo glared at her from his seat._

_Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he's seen her before, maybe in a picture or something. But his mind hadn't prepared him for the splendor her presence had over him._

_Even if she sat across the room from him._

_Tatsuki said something to her which made her tap her bottom lip with her forefinger in thought. She smiled and gave her friend an answer at which they both laughed._

_He couldn't hear her laugh, but he bet it sounded wonderful._

"_I hope to have a great semester this year." Professor __Ōtoribashi said sweetly, tugging loosely on his frilly shirt. "I'm looking forward to grading stacks and stacks of papers to give bare minimum grades to make it harder __for you all to pass." Rōjūrō smiled. "Have a nice day."_

_Ichigo immediately stood to get a better view of her. Damn it, Tatsuki. Her head was in the way. The two of them met up with __Chizuru and walked out into the courtyard. Of course Ichigo's class was in the other direction but he couldn't help to follow._

_Her long, bright, hair bounced a little when she walked and between all the noises around him he could finally hear the laugh he was dying to hear._

_It was a soft, bubbly giggle as she turned her head and smiled at Chizuru._

_Ichigo phone buzzed and he smirked at the message. _

_**So, how do u like the University?**__ The text read._

_**Its fine gettn the feel of it all. **__He texted back. __**Hows tht fancy smanshy school u at?**_

_**Fine. Byakuya got me on a tight schedule. Wont be able to visit soon.**_

_An arm wrapped around Ichigo's neck and tugged him down. "Who ya texting, huh?" A familiar voice joked._

_Ichigo pushed his friend Akashi off of him before shoving his phone back in his pocket. "No one."_

_The senior grinned slyly. "Ya ready to party tonight?!" Akashi started. "I know I am."_

_Ichigo nodded his head. "Ah huh." ____Akashi _was an old family friend, wasn't very bright though.

_Akashi rubbed his hands together, licking his lips. "I don't know about you, but I'm ready to meet some girls tonight."_

_Ichigo lifted a brow. "Yeah…" He placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Akashi. Just don't do anything stupid."_

_Akashi shook his head innocently. "No, never that!"_

…

Orihime wrapped the sandwich in foil and plopped it in a brown paper bag. She turned and handed it to her daughter. "Here you go!"

Hitomi yawned and took the bag. "Thanks."

"You need me to drive you?" Orihime asked. She'd be late if she walked. Hitomi always had trouble with mornings. She'd need to over come that if she wanted to take over BabyCakes one day.

Hitomi sat at the kitchen table and stared down at her phone. "No, Kei's picking me up. Her mom said I can stay over the whole weekend if I wanted." There was a loud honk outside and she perked up. "Oh, she's here! Bye."

Hitomi almost ran her father over as she zoomed out the door. Ichigo jumped back. "Hey!"

"Hi…" Orihime kissed him on the cheek. "I thought you left."

Ichigo opened the refrigerator. "I took a day off."

"The boss?" Orihime exclaimed in a joking voice. "Taking a day off?"

Ichigo closed the frig. "Everyone needs a break once in a while." He kissed her on the lips. "Especially on their anniversary."

Orihime made to placed bread into the toaster but Ichigo stopped her with a hand to the wrist. "A break, remember?" Making breakfast was out of the question. "I'll just have an apple."

* * *

_**Later that night.**_

* * *

_Orihime persistently pulled at tight dress she was forcefully squeezed into. "Rangiku…. This is too short."_

_Orihime would have never agreed to come to this party if it meant her boobs were pushed up to her ears, her face was packed with clown makeup and her feet became stilts. What type of human would torture there sole like this?_

_Rangiku stopped and stared at the freshman, a smile creeping onto her face. "I knew that dress would look good on you! Only girls like us can this dress look that good." Orihime blushed when two boys walked by as Rangiku adjusted the halter top straps. "You filled it out really well."_

_Orihime glanced up at Rangiku's outfit, which managed to look just as tight, if not tighter, and skimpier. "But I'm cold…" Orihime whispered softly._

_The senior rolled her eyes. "You want some cheese to go with that wine?"_

_Rangiku grabbed her arm and tugged her down the sidewalk. Orihime could just hear the music coming from the fraternity house. "Rangiku… I don't go to parties."_

"_You're in college!" Rangiku sang. "It's time to start living!"_

**…**

Orihime closed her favorite book. She sighed, it never got old.

Sometimes Orihime thought back and wondered if they were too young to get married. Twenty-two seemed so far away from now, but it didn't feel like twenty-one years of marriage. She didn't feel _that_ old.

"Ichigo, have you spoken to Tamotsu?"

Ichigo folded down his paper. "Yes. He said Sousuke is teaching him the ins and outs of the business. He says he'll be his successor one day." The man took off his glasses to get a good look at her. "How do you feel about it all?"

Orihime closed her eyes for a moment. "It's… surreal. But it's the way things are... Its how it should had been in the first place..."

**…**

"_Rangiku, don't leave me," Orihime whispered. It was scary inside. The music was way too loud. Everyone was older and different. Tatsuki said she'd come but she needed to finish her homework. Why did she agree again? Oh right, because she's an idiot._

_Rangiku poured her third cup of punch. "Of course I won't." She took a sip out of her red plastic cup. "The punch is to die for. There are these chunks of pineapple and strawberries…"_

_Orihime froze when she felt a warm body come up behind her. "Hey, wanna dance?" some guy asked.  
_

_Orihime shook her head, petrified. "No thank you," she said quickly._

_The guy lifted his brow and turned to Rangiku. "Matsumoto?" He took her hand and kissed it. How suave._

_Rangiku winked and smiled. "Leave me a spot on the dance floor for later."_

_Rangiku was ready to move, to dance, though her head hurt, headaches never stopped her from having fun. Only legit hangovers. And she wasn't going to get a hangover from standing around near the refreshment table._

_Rangiku poured Orihime a drink and pushed her off the table._

"_Hey! Rangiku-"_

"_Orihime, you see that guy over there?" She said into her ear. Orihime tried to lift her head but Matsumoto told her not to look. "He's been staring at you all night."_

_Orihime blushed. "No…"_

_Rangiku nodded. "Yes, really! Go talk to him."_

_It was that guy she's seen a few times in the courtyard, a smoker, just sitting there with his friends but not much of a talker. The only reason she's noticed him is because he stares at he sometimes- every time in fact. It was creepy then… and kind of creepy now._

"_I just can't talk to him. It's… weird."_

_Rangiku grabbed her arm. "Follow my lead."_

_The duo walked beside him and stopped. Rangiku went on about some random story and Orihime nodded her head, pretending it was so interesting. The guy just leaned against the wall, staring._

"_Oh! I forgot my purse over there!" Rangiku exclaimed quite dramatically._

"_Rangiku!" Orihime hissed. "You have no purse!"_

_She just winked and sashayed away leaving Orihime standing awkwardly in her tight, revealing dress and drink by the strange guy. She took a big gulp of her punch to ease the creeping pain in her head._

"_Hey…" a deep voice drowned._

_Orihime turned on her heels and smiled wider than she meant to. "Hi!"_

_The guy flipped his dark hair to the side. "Cool party, right?"_

"_Um, yeah! It's… cool." Orihime took another big gulp out of her cup. "I like the punch!"_

_His eyes seemed to sparkle at that. "It's good?" He asked rhetorically. "I made it myself."_

_Orihime closed her eyes briefly. The pain in her head had become more pronounced as her body became heavier. And did it get hotter in there or what? "Oh! Well the pineapples and the… the… th-"_

"_The strawberries?" He offered._

"_Yeah! Yeah, the strawberries… they're… they're good." Orihime drained the cup. "…Did this have alcohol in it?"_

_The guy stood and smiled. "A little."_

_Orihime's blush reddened as he came up closer than expected. Where was Rangiku? "Oh, I don't drink often… I hardly drink at all! Except for that one time at my aunt's vow renewal but I only had a drink or two, nothing major…" Orihime inhaled deeply and exhaled quickly which seemed to blow against his face. She seemed to be stuck between him and the wall which she had the sudden urge to lean on._

"_That's cool…" He said, lightly touching her waist. "I like your style."_

"_Tha… thanks…" She slurred._

"_Look, it's noisy down here. I know a place that's quiet."_

_Now that he said something, Orihime did remember how loud the music was. It was too noisy, no wonder her head hurt and it was affecting her body somehow too because she suddenly felt very tired._

"_That sounds… good…" Orihime allowed him to lead her upstairs where the unknown awaited._

**…**

"_Aye! It's I-chi-go!"_

_Ichigo was once again bombarded with an arm around the throat. "Hey." _

_Akashi slapped his back and was shocked when he saw a few others behind him. "Who's this?" Akashi pointed to Ichigo's friends. "We can't have anymore guys here."_

_Keigo finished laughing at his own joke much to Ishida's and Renji's vexation. Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Calm down, we won't be here long."_

_Akashi took a few steps back and opened his arms out wide. "Aw but the party's just getting started!"_

_As Ichigo walked in, his eyes scanned his surrounding. Drunken girls and horny, desperate but aloof guys. College was not step further from high school._

_Ichigo's eyes kept moving but they stopped when they saw her, accompanied by her bubbly giggle. She was walking up the stairs with some guy._

"_Akashi." Ichigo nudged his friend. "Who was that?"_

"_That's my bud, J-"_

_Ichigo shook his head. "No. The girl."_

_Akashi shrugged. "I don't know his pick of the night?"_

_Akashi moved to the refreshment table and Ichigo followed, hoping to get whatever information he could from him about her._

"_His pick?" Ichigo asked.  
_

"_Yeah!" Akashi chewed on a pretzel stick. "What do you notice about every girl in the room?"_

_From his view of the large frat house, Ichigo swept the rooms once more. All the guys were a tad bit more alert then normal. All of the girls were completely opposite. "They all have cups."_

"_Yeah! And the guys? They don't have cups. Wanna know why?"_

_Ichigo shook his head. "No."_

"_Here, Ichigo." Akashi handed Ichigo a cup filled with punch. He brushed his arm through the air, gesturing to the house, to his kingdom. "Take your pick…"_

**…**

_The loud noise of the music had muted somehow. Maybe the door closed? She didn't know. Everything was spinning now and it seemed to take longer to draw breath, like her whole body was slowing down against her will. "My head hurts… is there anything I can take?" Orihime asked._

"_Yeah, I got something you can take." The mystery guy said. Orihime hadn't noticed she sitting on a bed until he forcefully pushed her down on it._

_His mouth was on places were they weren't supposed to be. His hands touching things he wasn't meant to touch. "No, I don't like this." Orihime whispered. She pushed at his chest with her hands, feeble and weak. Where was Matsumoto? "Please stop…" was all she could repeat._

"_You'll like it in a second, I promise." His warm, cigarette stained breath blew in her face. Was he always this creepy? Orihime couldn't remember, she couldn't think, all she knew is that she didn't like it… "Just close your eyes."_

_His long, slender fingers crept between her thighs. She'd kick, she'd push, she'd move a muscle if her dress wasn't so tight and her body weren't working against her. "Ple…. Pla… please."_

"_Yo, what the f-"_

_The music was blasting again but the light was fading. Everything was fading. The smell of cigarette breath was gone and her body was lifted into the air like she was on a cloud._

_The music drifted away, slowly. And her surroundings became darker and darker and her body became heavier and heavier._

_Ichigo clenched and unclenched his fist. It's been a good minute since he punched an ass in the face. He kept his eyes on the road as he drove through campus._

_She groaned and turned in her seat. Ichigo stared at her, it was hard not to. Especially with a getup such as _that_. Ichigo looked back at the road and gulped. "Hey, I'm gonna get you some help, okay."_

"_I'm cold…" he heard her mumble._

_Ichigo slowed the car. He shrugged his jacket off and laid it over her frame. She still shivered but less so. He just hoped that whatever drug that's running through her body wouldn't cause severe harm._

**…**

Orihime snuggled under Ichigo a little more. There was nothing like curling up against his body on a cool afternoon. She just loved being near him so. Besides, she was always cold. "…So what are we doing?"

Ichigo blinked innocently at the television. "What do you mean?"

"It's our twenty-first… we have to do something special."

Ichigo settle on a quick movie and looked down at his wife. "Don't stress about it, okay babe."

Orihime nodded. "Okay." _How could he be so passive about it? I mean com on! He has to let something on! He just can't leave me hanging with little to none information like that!_

"…But are we going out to eat? Will we go see a show or a performance?"

"Orihime." His voice was so stern that she had to sit up to look him in the face. Surprisingly he had a smile on his face. "I got it all under control."

* * *

_**Two days later.**_

* * *

_Ichigo had never packed his bag so fast to get out of class before. She wasn't in the next day or the day after that. He worried she'd never come back. "Hey!"_

_Orihime turned. "Huh?"_

_Ichigo took a deep breath. "Hey… are you alright?" Though she tried to hide it, a deep blush appeared over her cheeks._

_Her bright gray eyes blinked. "Why wouldn't I be?"_

_Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck, nervously. "It's just- I… the other night…?" Nervousness? No. He never got nervous when talking to a girl, so why now?_

_Orihime smiled sheepishly and turned. "I'm sorry; I have to get to my next class."  
_

"_Wait-" On impulse, Ichigo grabbed her forearm before she could go. "…You don't remember me, do you?"_

_The party, the guy, the car, Tatsuki's? They all went to the hospital where Ichigo worried over this girl. He meant to get her name but he'd forgotten amidst the drama. _

_Orihime's heart raced. "I can't say I do… please let go me…"_

_He let go just as quickly as he latched on, hoping he didn't frighten her. She scurried off all too fast, in a blink in an eye, her long auburn hair fanning behind her._

"_Tatsuki!" Ichigo shouted and caught up. "Tatsuki! Who was that girl?"_

_Tatsuki shook her head. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no. She's not interested."_

_The courtyard became clearing out so Ichigo walked on with Tatsuki. "Tatsuki, who is she?" He asked again._

"_Orihime Inoue. She went to the Karakura all girls school with me." Tatsuki looked up at her long time friend. "Ichigo, she's really not interested, trust me."_

_He lifted his normal narcissistic brow. "How do you know?"_

_The girl shrugged. "She just isn't like that. She isn't interested in anyone, never has."_

_Ichigo couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. Sure he scared her off this time, but he wouldn't let her get away the next. "That's gonna change."_

_He rolled his eyes when he heard his little friend guffaw. "A little over confident, are we."_

"…_We'll see."_

**…**

"How dressed is over dressed?"

Orihime stuck her head into Ichigo's closet. He was pulling up his dark purple silk scarf she got him for his birthday earlier that year. It wasn't later that she realized purple wasn't exactly his color, but he appreciated it anyway.

Ichigo slid the wide end through the bride in the front and tugged upward. "Dress anyway you like." He looked over from the mirror. "You'll look great no matter what."

Orihime reddened at the compliment. They weren't frequent but they weren't few. Every time one came her way it still took her back to the days before life happened.

The woman scurried back to her closet. It was full, as usual.

"Okay…"

She couldn't wear orange, why did she even have that dress? Red was out of the question. Blue would be nice, if it was darker. This is a nightly occasion. Orihime didn't care for clothes much, but the standard Ichigo was setting was very high tonight.

Black was always safe. Orihime jumped over to the black row. "Hmm…" She pulled a simple dress from the rack. The smallest of smiles formed on her face. It was old, held too many memories, bad or good, she couldn't tell. But this dress wore a lot on her sleeves.

In an effort to reach a pair of shoes on the top shelf, her hands came to a box. She recoiled.

* * *

**The next day.**

* * *

_Orihime waved goodbye to Tatsuki as she rounded the brick corner. It wasn't Ichigo's intention but when it happened he snagged his opportunity._

"_Oof!" Orihime fell to the ground, hitting the brick ground hard. She began picking up her books when her hand came over another._

_It was that guy! The guy with the orange hair… and the muscles… and the… the jaw… His lips moved into a smiled and Orihime couldn't help staring at how white and perfect his teeth were. "Orihime, right?"_

He's talking you idiot!_ "Y-yes." She stuttered._

"_I'm Ichigo." His smile broadened "Ichigo Kurosaki."_

_Orihime shook her head, attempting to clear but it only made her worse. "In… Inoue. Orihime Inoue."_

_They finished gathering her books and the two stood. Orihime remembered Tatsuki talking about him occasionally. Apparently they're good family friends but Orihime had never truly met him until now._

"_So, Inoue, I was wondering if I could take you out to lunch." She heard him say before she could make a run for it._

_Orihime began walking but he matched her stride. "That's very nice, but I already ate."_

"_Just a quick coffee then?" He offered._

_Why was he talking to her and not to a girl like Rangiku? She's the only one who can always make sweating over a hot pan of stew sexy._

"_Um…" Orihime pushed a strand of burnt-orange hair behind her ear. "… Kurosaki-kun… I don't drink coffee… and I don't want you to waste your money on me, really."_

_A chuckle came from him and Orihime looked up. He was smiling and he didn't look as nonchalant as he did in English. "Trust me, it won't go to waste."_

_They finally stopped in front of the Arts building. Rangiku and Culinary class was waiting, but she didn't want to part with him just yet… And why was she trying to turn him down and away? "I did have a small breakfast…"_

_He flashed a big white grin. "I know the perfect place. Shuu's Sushi Shack."_

_Orihime grinned back. "I love that place!"_

"_Great!"_

**…**

"_Oh, thank you for gathering my books, Kurosaki-kun."_

_Ichigo opened the door to the deli. "No prob." They sat down at an empty table and ordered two waters. "So, why Karakura University?"_

"_They have a great culinary program." She shrugged her shoulders. "I originally wanted to go to a school primarily culinary, like JCA or Le Cordon Bleu in Toyko, but my aunt said I need to go here or she wouldn't pay." Orihime blushed at his hard stare. "I've said too much."_

_Ichigo shook his head. "No, no. Your aunt? What about your parents?"_

_Her face fell quickly before she looked away and immediately Ichigo knew he hit a sore spot._

"_I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry-"_

"_No, no. It's fine… My parents just aren't around, they never were." She took a sip of her water. "My aunt's been paying my way since my brother died."_

_Ichigo lifted his hand and ticked off everything he knew about her so far. "So you have an aunt in a brother. Parents are M.I.A. and you are at KU because your aunt is forcing you?"_

_She sighed. "Basically."_

_Ichigo leaned back in his chair. "Well if it makes you feel better, KU wasn't my plan either."_

_She pushed both sides of her wavy hair behind her ear. "Well, I guess us being here together is… fate."_

_He… he liked the ring of that. "I…" He grinned. "I guess so."_

**…**

Orihime stared down at her tiny feet. "Flats aren't enough… are they?"

Ichigo pulled her coat out of the closet before looking her over. "They're fine." No matter what she wore she looked nice. Especially in the dress she wore tonight. He's pretty sure he's seen it before… either way he liked it. He really didn't care what she wore on her feet.

"We're not late are we?" Orihime asked as Ichigo helped her into her jacket.

"No, but we will be if you continue stressing like this." Ichigo put on his own jacket and grabbed the keys.

"Should I call Hitomi?" Orihime said quickly, heading towards the phone base. "To see if she's alright?"

Ichigo grabbed her wrist. "She's a big girl." Ichigo said as she ushered his wife out of the door. "If she's in trouble, she'll call."

Orihime needed to calm her self down. After touching that box, pulling it down from its hiding place and staring at it for what seemed like forever, she was on edge. What she needed was a deep breath.

That sinful dress- the dress that spiraled everything out of her control.… Those memories were few but strong nonetheless.

As Ichigo backed out of the driveway and down the road, he placed his hand on top of his wife's. Immediately he heard a sigh of relief. Whatever she was thinking, whatever she was feeling, she needed to remember that he was here too. It didn't hurt to give a reminder once in a while.

* * *

_**Weeks later.**_

* * *

"_Did you like the movie?"_

_Orihime nodded. "Yes, Kurosaki-kun, it was nice."_

_It was a boring, chilly day, classes were same old same old and they all had gotten bored. No one knows who suggested it but they all went out to a movie._

_Ichigo took off his jacket and handed it to her. "Here."_

_She took it gladly and snuggled into the warm coat. The sleeves were too long and wide but if she zipped it up her boobs would fill out the space where his muscles would be. "Thank you…"_

_Keigo threw his fist in the air. "That was awesome!" He jumped in front of Ichigo, stopping him in his tracks. "First he was like that and then he went like this! And did you see the part when he was like this?"_

"_Keigo, I was there!" Ichigo shouted. Orihime giggled. Keigo attempted a few jabs and kicks Ichigo's way which he all deflected._

_Orihime felt Ichigo return to his place beside her, never exceeding a proximity barrier. "Are your hands still cold?"_

_Before she could even object or even think to do so, he grabbed her hand. He warmed more than her hands. _

_Orihime looked away to hide her blush. "Yeah, they're warming up now."_

"_I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving!" Keigo shouted as they walking into Shuu's Sushi Shack._

"_Yeah, that popcorn just didn't so it." Mizuiro added. Everyone laughed considering Mizuiro didn't eat anything. He just sat on his cellphone the whole time which they tell you not to do._

_He couldn't tell you the name of the main character if you asked him._

_The girls stayed at the table while all of the guys got in line. "Tatsuki, Chizuru…" Orihime said staring down at her tingling hand. His large hand wrapped around her small one. She could still feel the burn his fingers left when he squeezed her tight. "…I think I really like him."_

_Chizuru smiled and nodded her head. "He doesn't show it but he really likes you too!"_

_Orihime ignored Tatsuki's eye roll and smiled and nodded too, happy that someone else shared her excitement. "This feels so different… from anything I've ever felt. It feels like…"_

"_Love." Keigo said. "You're in love."_

_Ichigo punched him hard on the arm. "Shut up."_

_Ichigo rolled his eyes as Ishida adjusted his glass, know full well something smart was about to come from him. I've never seen you so open with a woman before. I think Keigo hit the nail on the head with this one." His glasses flashed as he smirked. "You're not fooling us Kurosaki; we all saw the hand holding."_

"_The movie cuddling." Mizuiro said._

"_The googly eye making." Keigo added. He flinched when Ichigo lifted his fist. _

_The jokester lifted his hands up in defense. "All I'm saying Ichigo, is you got it bad." He slapped Ichigo on the arm. "Even Chad agrees. Isn't that right Chad?"_

_Much to Ichigo's dismay, Chad gave the tiniest of nods._

_They were right. She was driving him _mad_. He had never felt this way for anyone, not even his old girlfriends… no one compared to her._

_Orihime threw her head back in a loud laugh, her golden hair tumbling down in all its glory and the most wonderful sounds of happiness coming from within._

_He had to have her._

* * *

_**A few days later.**_

* * *

"_So I was trying to reach the kettle corn box but it was too high and she was trying to reach it with her cane and we were both pulling and tugging that before I never it, all the boxes came falling down on top of us."_

_Ichigo grinned and let a tiny chuckle escape._

"_I felt so bad." Orihime covered her face. "I was trying to help but I made it worse and… it was just a big mess."_

_Breezy and quiet. Students moved back and forth through the courtyard. It was one of the only times during the day when the two could just sit and talk without rushing to class._

"_It was nice of you to try to help at least."_

_Orihime shrugged and to a nibble out of her chocolate bar. "Yeah, I guess."_

_They sat under the willow tree in the grass. The bench was taken but they didn't mind. It felt good down in the cool greenery. "Um," Ichigo tug anxiously at his sweater sleeve. "I have a question for you."_

_Orihime put her pencil down and took another bite from her chocolate bar. "Hm?"_

"_Do you want to be my girlfriend?"_

_Orihime swallowed the bite whole, coughing as it made her way down her tight throat. "I'm sorry… I… I…"_

_Ichigo patted her back and handed her his bottle of water. "So… you don't?"_

_After a few gulps a water and even more gulps of air, Orihime shook her head. Ichigo never felt so relieved when she smiled up at him. "No silly. I thought I already was."_

_It was then where Ichigo scooped her up and kissed her for the first time._

_It was neither of their first kiss. But it was the first time their kisses actually meant something, something more then just lip to lip contact, something more than a good night or unwilling drunken slurs._

_This was the beginning of something _big_._

_Ichigo broke it off, he had to. If it went on for any long they would had permanently be sucking face for hours. "I'd apologize but I'm not sorry," Ichigo said into a breathless laugh.  
_

_They lay bake on the cool grass. Their next class would start up again, and they wouldn't be able to see each other until later, and later was so far away from the now._

_Orihime closed her eyes and waited as another breeze swept the courtyard. "I wouldn't have wanted you to anyway."_

**…**

The entry was quick and swift; the waiters wasted no time seating the couple since Ichigo ordered the most expensive seat in the restaurant.

Ichigo had two glasses poured and made sure the chef wasted no time in preparing their food.

Orihime loved it when he was the most confident man in the room. He seemed to grow better with age. She'd never tell him but his crow's feet were so adorable, if you could make him laugh that hard. And the wisps of gray against the orange hair added the perfect businessman touch. His spiky do was a little too wild for the PR route.

"Orihime." Ichigo said, interrupting her thoughts. "Last time when we… when you were here… I screwed up. And I wanted to take you back to this place for years but I couldn't bring myself to make the reservations."

"Ichigo…" Orihime wasn't going to say anything, but their seventh anniversary was something of a disaster. But he's had many years to redeem himself.

Ichigo took a swig of his drink before speaking again. "But you know I love you and I'm happy that we've made it this far."

She smiled. "Ichigo…, that's so sweet."

Orihime leaned in for a kiss, sighing into him and cuddling in the private section. When she looked up, there was a woman, sitting at a far away table. He face a lonely, her eyes big and searching.

How many nights had Orihime eaten alone? How many times stood up and forgotten? But look at how she ended up. At her twenty-first anniversary milestone. There was a plenty to complain about but even more to praise.

_Just hold on._ Orihime wanted to say to the woman. Orihime looked up and meet Ichigo's amber eyes with a twinkle. _It's worth it, it really is…_

* * *

_**Four years later.**_

* * *

"_So, Ichi! Ya popping the question or what?!"_

_Keigo leaned off Ichigo's desk, dripping with mockery._

_Ichigo turned away from his computer. He had ambitions; he wanted to make something of himself instead of being stuck behind a cuticle. Keigo on the other hand doesn't care about work. _

_If Keigo came all the way up from the fifth floor to the ninth to bother him, he had another thing coming. "Gotta find the right time," Ichigo simply responded._

_A loud slap of files falling onto his table turned Ichigo's head. Ishida stood there, eavesdropping as always. "You've been carrying that box around for about a month now… it must be burning a whole in your pocket."_

"_Yeah." Ichigo grumbled. "Pretty much."_

_It was not his fault! Well, fifty percent was his fault. He's already tried twice that month. The first time they went to dinner, they waited forever outside in the chill, the service took forever, their food was undone and Orihime caught a cold when they got home. Not the best time to propose to a woman with snot dripping down her nostrils._

_The second time was even worse… one word. Disaster._

_It seemed as if fate was working against him._

"_I wonder, Ichigo." Keigo started, a grin reaching his lips which Ichigo tried to ignore. "How long has it been?"_

"_What?"_

_From the corner of his eye he could see Uryū shaking his head. Keigo went on. "You know, since you've gotten some."_

_Ichigo turned back to his computer. "…Orihime isn't like that."_

_Orihime believe in matrimony before conception. It was how she was raised and Ichigo had always respected that, he would never try to push and never has. Occasionally there was a slip up of two, a kiss going a little too far, but someone always stopped it before it went too far._

_Keigo threw his head back and laughed. "I mean, how can you marry someone without even know how good they are in bed?" Before he knew it, Keigo was yanked down by the collar and was face to face with Ichigo. "Shut. Up." He growled._

"_So…" Ishida pried Ichigo's fist from Keigo's collar before continuing. "When are you asking?"_

_Ichigo returned to his work. "This weekend."_

_Ishida cut Keigo off before he could say anything else. "Know how?"_

"_I'm just gonna wing it." Ishida's brow lifted. "Have a better idea?" Proposing was harder than it looked!_

_Ichigo pushed the suede box around in his hands. He took a deep breath. "Inoue. Inoue… Hime, no. Orihime… Orihime, will you… do you want…?"_

_The man huffed. Has he really degraded to talking into a mirror? He thought it was supposed to come naturally. This was the woman he wanted to be with, from the day he saw her he knew. It has been the longest four years of his life. He was twenty-two and wasn't getting any younger._

"_You see… it's just… there's this new fad that couples are doing… and… I was thinking maybe we could possibly do it too! It's called marriage."_

_Ichigo nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard her sing: "Dinner's here!"_

_In the living room, Orihime sat down on the sofa, a box of hot pizza sitting on her lap. "Pepperoni for you." She said as she slipped a slice on a plate for him. "And anchovy, ranch, pineapple and bean paste sauce pizza for me!"_

_He couldn't believe the pizza place was willing to make such a weird pie. Bean paste for sauce? Who agrees to that kind of thing? Was it because she made the birthday cake for the owner's son without charge? But if it makes her happy…_

_The theme music for that stupid ghost show came on, and Orihime did the gesture in time to the wacky medium host. What a crack!_

_Ichigo grabbed the remote and turned the volume down. "Orihime…" He ran a hand through his spiky hair. "I have something to ask you."_

_She looked up at him. "Hmm?"_

"_I…. Here, you have something…" There was a chunk of pineapple on her cheek. She tried to reach it with her small tongue but it wasn't long enough. Watching her struggle was adorable but he wouldn't let her struggle long. "I got it." Ichigo took his thumb and wiped it clean off._

_His hand lingered there for a while._

_Orihime smiled back._

_No one can remember what happened next, maybe it was his hand or her smile, but there lips were together before no time._

_Like he said, there were bound to be slip ups. There were times when the passion that always simmered on the top burst and spill over the end. Moments where nothing mattered, it was him and her. No boundaries, no rules. This was one of the moments._

_Ichigo felt her hand, slightly pushing on his chest, warning him, reminding him. It was then Ichigo realized what he was doing._

_It was quiet when the two sat up. There was that ever occurring blush over her cheeks and nose, that flushed redness over her face. "I'm sorry-" Ichigo tried to say. He knew better than that._

_Orihime touched his shoulder. "No it was my fault." _

"_No." Ichigo shook his head before looking back into her gray eyes. "It wasn't."_

_After a second more of unbearable silence, the volume was cranked up and the slightly warm pizza and devoured._

"What did you need to ask me?"

"_Um…." Quickly, Ichigo pointed at a slice of pineapple in the empty pizza box. "If you were willing to share?"_

_Orihime grinned. "Of course."_

_On the outside he looked calm, cool, collected, munching on a cold pineapple slice. But on the inside he was banging his head against a hard brick wall._

_What a fucking screw up._

**…**

Orihime hugged Ichigo's body tight. Every time was just like the first time, if not better.

"Happy anniversary." She heard him whisper.

Orihime pushed up higher with her toes to kiss him on the cheek. "Yeah," she whispered back. "Happy anniversary."

* * *

**One week later.**

* * *

"_Her new baby is so cute!"_

_Orihime's squeals were too loud. She flipped through another picture and squealed all over again._

_Tatsuki snatched her phone back before her friend could begin making googly eyes at her phone. "It's hideous. No baby is cute. I can't believe she's keeping it…"_

_Ichigo rubbed the bridge of his nose. He couldn't do it, not for this long he couldn't. Everything inside of him hummed when she was around. He needed her insight, her love, her heart. _

"_How can you say that?" Orihime whined. She took a Shuu fry and dipped it into the hot cup of cheese. "Babies are gorgeous gifts in a world of hate and violence."_

_Tatsuki scoffed. "Go take a hike hippie."_

_Orihime sat back in her chair, Ichigo's arm automatically wrapped around her shoulder. "I know I want some babies one day. I want two girls and one boy. Manami, Aya, and I'm still tossed up between Ryuu and Tamotsu. I'm so looking forward to a boy!"_

"_Orihime!" Ichigo said._

_Everyone in Shuu's Sushi Shack looked over to their table of three._

_Orihime's eyes widened. Was he mad at her? Is it because of the baby? "Yes, Ichigo?" He doesn't want babies? No. He doesn't want babies with her. He doesn't want babies with her because he doesn't love her and he's breaking up with her right now. Orihime's face paled._

_Ichigo had jumped up. Once he was up he didn't know exactly what to do. His hands clenched and unclenched._

Get on one knee dummy.

_He did exactly that simultaneously pulling out the black suede box. It seemed to burn even more out in the open with so many eyes on him. The Shack seemed to concentrate their energy on him and her. "Orihime Inoue. Would you do me the honors of becoming Mrs. Orihime Kurosaki?"_

_Ichigo looked up. There were tears coming from her enlarged gray eyes._

"_Orihime…?"_

_Finally, she shook her head and the quietest of whispered escaped her lips. "Yes."_

_Ichigo perked up, but still skeptical. "You do?"_

_The woman jumped out of her seat and into his arms. "Yes, of course I do!"_

_The customers in the Sushi Shack clapped, and Shuu himself even gave them free lunch, including Tatsuki._

_Yet, tears still slowly crawled down Orihime's cheeks and Ichigo asked what was wrong. "….I thought you were leaving me." Orihime whispered. It seemed foolish now because he proposed but what if he did say he was done? He wouldn't have even shown any signs, gave her any warnings! She would have been lost and sad forever!_

_Ichigo smirked. Who knew what was going on in that little cute head of her's. "No." Ichigo said. "Never that."_

* * *

**Teehee. So the ending is the beginning! If anyone wants to figure out what happens next just read Vows, and after that, Settle Down. Once that's done I think we've come full circle!**

**Sorry it took me so long to post again. I knew if I didn't study I'd fail! But summer is approaching, thank god! Still got a few more classes to take though!**

**And thank you, to everyone who read this story, if you're **new**, **returning**, or if you were here from the **beginning**, I appreciate your support for my writing in this hectic time in my life :D**

**Thank you!**

**Rocka.**


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